10 Common Collocations in English to Improve English Fluency

Learn Fluent English With These Essential Collocations

If you’re learning English, it’s essential to understand the concept of collocations. Collocations in English refer to a group of two or more words that are usually found in pairs or in small phrases to form a natural-sounding phrase. Knowing English collocations can help you sound more like a native speaker and improve your communication skills.

Why are Collocations Important in English?

Using Collocations to Learn English is important for English learners. Because it helps speakers communicate more effectively, and more naturally. Native speakers use collocations most of the time, without even realizing it. Collocations help give the language its natural rhythm and flow, making it easier to understand for listeners.

If you’re unfamiliar with collocations, you might use the wrong word or phrase, making your speech sound awkward or confusing. For example, if you say “take a bath” instead of “take a shower,” a native speaker might understand what you mean, but it will still sound unnatural.

How to Learn Collocations in English

There are several ways to learn collocations in English. One of the most effective ways is to read and listen to English as much as possible. By exposing yourself to the language, you’ll start to notice common phrases and how they’re used.

Another way to learn collocations is to use an online collocation dictionary. These dictionaries allow you to search for a word and find common phrases that go with it. This is a great way to learn new vocabulary and improve your speaking and writing skills.

Finally, you can also practice using collocations in your own writing and speaking. Try to use the phrases you’ve learned, and ask a native speaker to correct you if you make a mistake. With practice, you’ll start to use collocations more naturally and improve your overall communication skills.

Types of Collocations in English

There are several different types of collocation made from various combinations of a verb, noun, adjective, etc. in the English language. Some of the most common types are:

NOUN + NOUN: A noun-noun combination includes combinations such as collective nouns and quantifiers.

• Correct: round of applause
• Incorrect: group of applause

NOUN + VERB: You might not even realize that these combinations are collocations but the fact is that these words go together and while some cannot be substituted, others can but are not used together as often.

• Correct: cats purr, dogs bark
• Incorrect: cats bark, dogs purr

VERB + NOUN: These are some of the easiest English collocations to learn. Very often, the verbs are quite simple, but one verb can collocate with many different nouns.

• Correct: give a speech
• Incorrect: send a speech

ADJECTIVE + NOUN: Sometimes the way we describe certain things has become so firmly entrenched in our language that they are collocations.

• Correct: deep sleep
• Incorrect: low sleep

ADVERB + ADJECTIVE: Similarly, the way we describe certain adjectives has also become fixed in our language.

• Correct: fully aware
• Incorrect: outright aware

VERB + EXPRESSION WITH A PREPOSITION: Verb-prepositional phrases also include phrasal verbs

• Correct: run out of time
• Incorrect: speed out of time

VERB + ADVERB: There are also particular verb-adverb combinations that we use.

• Correct: speak loudly
• Incorrect: speak blaringly

Common collocations in English that you may use:

Learning collocations in English can help you sound more fluent and natural in your speech. By understanding these common phrases, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively and improve your language skills overall.

1. Make a decision : The phrase “make a decision” is a common collocation in English. It’s used to describe the process of deciding something. For example, “I need to make a decision about which university to attend.”
2. Break the ice: “Break the ice” means overcoming the initial tension or awkwardness in a social situation. For example, you could say, “Let’s play a game to break the ice at the party.”
3. Take a look: “Take a look” is a commonly used collocation that means to examine or consider something. For example, you could say, “Let’s take a look at the data before we make a decision.”
4. Give a hand: If you want to offer your assistance to someone, you can say “give a hand.” For instance, “Can I give you a hand with that project?”
5. Miss the point: If someone misunderstands the main idea or purpose of something, they “miss the point.” For example, “I think you missed the point of my argument.”
6. Catch a cold: When someone gets sick, they might say they “caught a cold.” This is a common collocation in English that describes the process of getting sick from a cold virus.
7. Heavy rain: “Heavy rain” is a common collocation that describes a significant amount of rain falling. For example, “It’s been raining heavily all day.”
8. In a nutshell: When you want to summarize something briefly, you can use the expression “in a nutshell.” For instance, “In a nutshell, the report shows that our sales have increased by 10%.”
9. Pay attention: When someone is listening or watching something, they might be told to “pay attention.” This is a common collocation that is used to describe the act of focusing on something. For example, “Please pay attention to the teacher.”
10. Draw a conclusion: To make a judgment based on evidence or facts, you “draw a conclusion.” For example, “After analyzing the data, I drew the conclusion that the new product line will be successful.”

How to Use Collocations to Enhance Your Vocabulary?

Collocations are groups of words that commonly appear together and can greatly enhance your vocabulary when used correctly. If you want to enhance your English vocabulary, learning collocations can be a helpful strategy. One way to do this is by reading and listening to native English speakers to become familiar with the phrases they use. Another way is to use online resources such as collocation dictionaries or language learning apps that provide examples and explanations of collocations. Once you have identified collocations, practice using them in context to improve your communication skills and make your language sound more natural and fluent. Overall, practicing collocations in sentences can help you to express yourself more effectively and sound more like a native speaker.

The Advantages of Using Collocations

One of the primary benefits of collocations is that they can make your speech and writing more native-like. Native speakers often use collocations unconsciously, and by using them yourself, you can sound more natural and confident. For example, instead of saying “make a decision,” you can say “take a decision,” which is a more common and idiomatic collocation.

Another advantage of collocations is that they can help you remember words more easily. When you learn a new word in isolation, it can be hard to remember it later or use it in context. However, if you learn the word in a collocation, such as “strong coffee” or “bright idea,” you are more likely to remember it because it is associated with other words that create a meaningful expression.

Moreover, collocations can improve your grammar and syntax by showing you how words combine to form meaningful phrases. By studying collocations, you can learn how to use prepositions, verbs, adjectives, and nouns in the correct order and context. This can help you avoid common errors such as using the wrong preposition or verb form.

Tips for Using Collocations in Your Writing and Speaking

Now that you know how important collocations are, here are some tips for using them effectively in your writing and speaking:

1. Don’t translate directly from your native language. Many languages have different collocations than English, so it’s important to learn them in context rather than translating directly.
2. Practice, practice, practice. The more you use collocations in your writing and speaking, the more natural they’ll become. You can also use flashcards or quizzes to test your knowledge of collocations.
3. Use online resources. There are many online dictionaries and tools that can help you learn collocations in English language.
4. Use a collocation dictionary. A collocation dictionary is a tool that lists common collocations for a given word or phrase. Use it to look up the collocations of new words you learn or to revise the collocations of words you already know.
5. Read and listen to English as much as possible. By exposing yourself to the language, you’ll start to notice common phrases and how they’re used. Highlight or underline the collocations you come across and review them later.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re not sure if a phrase is a collocation, ask a native speaker or a teacher for clarification.

What are the major problems of using collocations?

While collocations are a useful tool for improving English fluency, there are some potential problems to be aware of. Here are a few:

• Overusing certain collocations can make your language sound robotic and unnatural.
• Collocations can be challenging for non-native speakers to learn, especially if they are not familiar with the cultural contexts in which they are used.
• Some collocations are specific to certain regions or dialects of English, so using them inappropriately can result in confusion or miscommunication. This can make it difficult for non-native speakers to learn and use appropriately.
• Collocations can change over time, so it’s important to stay up to date with current usage and avoid outdated or unfamiliar expressions.
• Collocations can have different connotations or shades of meaning, so it’s important to choose the right one for the context in which you are speaking or writing.

Conclusion

Despite these potential problems, Collocations are an important part of learning spoken English. By understanding common phrases that go together, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively and sound more like a native speaker. You can improve your language skills and communicate more effectively with practice and the right resources.

Article Originally Published In Vocal.Media