Collocations in English: 40 common ones, and the mistakes they prevent
A collocation is a pair or group of words that natives use together: “make a decision”, “heavy rain”, “pay attention”. Learners often translate word for word (“do a decision”, “strong rain”), and it sounds wrong even when the grammar is perfect. Here are 40 collocations by verb, the adjective pairs that confuse most learners, 10 common errors fixed, and a drill.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 9 min read
On this page
40 verb collocations with examples
make
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| make a decision | “I need to make a decision by Friday.” |
| make a mistake | “Everyone makes mistakes.” |
| make progress | “You’re making great progress.” |
| make an effort | “She made an effort to speak slowly.” |
| make friends | “It’s easy to make friends here.” |
| make money | “He makes money from tutoring.” |
| make a phone call | “I have to make a quick phone call.” |
| make sense | “That doesn’t make sense.” |
do
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| do homework | “I do my homework after dinner.” |
| do the shopping | “We do the shopping on Saturdays.” |
| do research | “She’s doing research for her thesis.” |
| do your best | “Just do your best.” |
| do someone a favour | “Could you do me a favour?” |
| do business | “They do business with Japan.” |
| do the dishes | “I’ll do the dishes.” |
| do exercise | “I do exercise every morning.” |
take
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| take a break | “Let’s take a short break.” |
| take a photo | “Can you take a photo of us?” |
| take a risk | “You have to take a risk sometimes.” |
| take notes | “I take notes in every lecture.” |
| take an exam | “She’s taking an exam tomorrow.” |
| take responsibility | “He took responsibility for the error.” |
| take a look | “Take a look at this.” |
| take advantage of | “Take advantage of the free trial.” |
have
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| have a shower | “I have a shower every morning.” |
| have lunch | “Let’s have lunch together.” |
| have a good time | “Did you have a good time?” |
| have a problem | “We have a problem with the server.” |
| have a meeting | “We have a meeting at ten.” |
| have a chat | “Let’s have a quick chat.” |
| have an idea | “I have an idea.” |
| have a look | “Have a look at this report.” |
give / pay / keep / get
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| give advice | “Can you give me some advice?” |
| give a presentation | “She gave a presentation to the board.” |
| pay attention | “Please pay attention.” |
| pay a visit | “We paid a visit to my aunt.” |
| keep a promise | “He always keeps his promises.” |
| keep in touch | “Let’s keep in touch.” |
| get a job | “She got a job in London.” |
| get a taxi | “We got a taxi to the airport.” |
Adjective collocations that confuse learners
| Say | Note |
|---|---|
| heavy rain / heavy traffic | not “strong rain” |
| strong coffee / strong wind | not “heavy coffee” |
| fast food / fast train | not “quick food” |
| a quick shower / a quick look | not “a fast shower” |
| bitterly cold / deeply grateful | adverb + adjective pairs |
| highly recommended | not “strongly recommended” for a restaurant |
| a close friend | not “a near friend” |
| a big mistake / a serious mistake | not “a heavy mistake” |
10 common errors and the natural version
| Learners often say | Natural English |
|---|---|
| do a mistake | make a mistake |
| make homework | do homework |
| say a lie | tell a lie |
| do a decision | make a decision |
| say the truth | tell the truth |
| open the light / close the light | turn on / turn off the light |
| do progress | make progress |
| strong rain | heavy rain |
| do a photo | take a photo |
| look the news | watch the news |
These errors come from translating a phrase word for word from your first language. The grammar is fine, but the pair is unnatural. A learner’s dictionary (Cambridge, Oxford, Longman) shows the usual partners of a word.
Do vs make: a rule of thumb
| Use do for… | Use make for… |
|---|---|
| Tasks and chores: do the dishes, do the laundry | Creating something: make dinner, make a cake |
| Work and study: do homework, do research, do a course | Plans and choices: make a plan, make a decision |
| General activity: do something, do nothing, do your best | Results and reactions: make a mistake, make a noise, make progress |
How to learn collocations for speaking
- Learn 5 a day, from one verb or one topic, not an alphabetical list.
- Write one true sentence for each: “I need to make a decision about my course.”
- Say them aloud in a 1-minute story and record it. See just a minute topics.
- Notice collocations when you read or listen. When you see a new noun, write down the verb that goes with it.
- Review after 1 day and 1 week, then use each one in a real conversation.
Collocations work with phrasal verbs and idioms. For fluency, see how to speak English fluently, and practise them with an AI tutor.
Frequently asked questions
What is a collocation in English?
A collocation is a combination of words that are often used together by native speakers, such as “make a decision”, “heavy rain” or “pay attention”. Other combinations may be understandable but sound unnatural.
What is the difference between do and make?
“Do” is usually used for tasks, work and activities (do homework, do the dishes), and “make” for creating or deciding (make dinner, make a decision, make a mistake). There are many exceptions, so learn the common pairs.
Why do collocations matter?
They make your English sound natural and help you speak faster, because you use ready-made chunks instead of building every sentence word by word. Using them correctly is also part of vocabulary scores in speaking tests.
How can I learn collocations?
Learn them in chunks and in sentences, group them by verb or topic, use a learner’s dictionary, and say them aloud in real situations. A few new ones each day is better than a long list.
Is “take a shower” or “have a shower” correct?
Both are correct. “Have a shower” is common in British English and also used in American English, while “take a shower” is mostly American.
Where can I find a list of collocations?
Learner’s dictionaries such as Cambridge, Oxford and Longman show common collocations under each word, and there are dedicated collocation dictionaries. Be careful with unchecked lists from user-uploaded documents.
Use collocations in real conversation
Talk with an AI tutor and get feedback on unnatural word pairs, grammar and pronunciation. Free for 3 days.
Start your free trial