collocation

Elsadig Agabna Elhadi

 Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary

(2005: 293) defines collocation as a
combination of words in a language that
happens very often and more frequently
than would happen by chance
A collocation is two or more words that
often go together.
J.R. Firth introduce the term collocation
"co-" (together) and "location" (place) =
place together, locate together, go together

 Some collocations are fixed, or very strong, for

example take a photo, where no word other than take
collocates with photo to give the same meaning. Some
collocations are more open, where several different
words may be used to give a similar meaning, for
example keep to/ stick to the rules.
Why learn collocations?
Learning collocations is a good idea because they can:
a) give you the most natural way to say something:
smoking is strictly forbidden is more natural than
smoking is strongly forbidden.
b) give you alternative ways of saying something,
which may be more colorful/expressive or more
precise: instead of repeating
c) improve your style in writing:

 January : You are good company' but you I may have a selfish streak
good company' people enjoy being with you selfish streak you sometimes act in a
selfish way
Feb. You have an outgoing personality and a good sense of humour.
March You have a vivid imagination, but you tend to lose your temper too easily.
April: You are highly intelligent with a razor-sharp mind.
May You set high standards for yourself and are fiercely loyal to your friends.
fiercely loyal: stronger than extremely
June : The best aspect of your personality is the way you always put others
first.
July : Although you can be painfully shy in social situations, at work you give
the impression of being supremely confident.
August: You have a tendency to make snap decisions.: quick decisions
September You have a strong sense of responsibility and always keep your word
keep your word: do what you say you will do, keep your promises
October : You are good at keeping secrets and never bear a grudge: resent
for a long time bad things others have done to you
November: You find it hard to keep your temper if you think someone is making a
fool out of you.
Not get angry trying to deceive or trick you
Dec. You can be brutally honest and sometimes hurt others' feelings honest in a
way that may hurt

 Families
Family relationships
Sociologists talk about nuclear and extended families. A nuclear family is just
parents and children. An extended family is a wider network including grandparents,
cousins, etc. Close relatives are those like parents, children, brothers or sisters.
Distant relatives are people like second cousins [the children of a cousin of your
mother or father] or distant cousins. Close/immediate family refers to people who
are your nearest blood relatives: I don't have much close/immediate family. She's a
distant cousin of mine; she's not a blood relative. Close can also be used to mean
that the relationship is a very strong one: We are a very close family, or We are a
very close-knit family. These adjectives also collocate with family: loving,
respectable, dysfunctional [unhappy, not working in a healthy way] Simon came
from a respectable family, so Mary's parents felt happy about the marriage.
Someone's late husband/wife is one who has died.
An estranged [formal] husband/wife is one who lives in a different place and has a
difficult relationship with their husband/wife. They may be having a trial separation
and may eventually decide to get a divorce. In some cases it can be a bitter/
acrimonious divorce, [full of anger, arguments and bad feeling]
A person's ex-husband/ex-wife is a man/woman that she/he used to be married to.
Children whose parents have separated or divorced are said to come from a broken
home. If their family is a strong, loving one it can be called a stable home. If it is a
poor one, not having the things that are necessary for a pleasant life, such as
enough money, food or good living conditions, it can be called a deprived home.
A confirmed bachelor is a man who seems to have no intention of ever marrying.

Collocationexample comment
start a familyThey are hoping to start a family soon NOT begin a family
have children I'd like to have three children. Not get childern
expect a baby Soraya is expecting a baby. Not wait for
have a baby Jill had her baby yesterday. Expected to arrive
the baby is due The baby is due next week.
single parent/mother It's hard being a single parent
not married or divorced
raise / bring up Helen had to bring up four young
children / a family children on her own.
apply for custody of The father applied for custody of
the legal right
or duty to
give/grant [formal] children,
but the judge gave/granted
to care for
a child after its
custody custody to the motherparents have separated or died
provide for your Nick works very long hours to provide to earn enough money
to
family for his family.Support your family
set up home We live with my mum now, but we'll set to start an independent
life
up home on our own soon. in one's own flat or house

 I fell madly in love with Anton from the moment I met

him. It was certainly love at first sight. I knew at once
that he was the love of my life but at first I was not
sure if my love was returned or not. Within a few days,
however, he had told me that he was desperately in
love with me too. A couple of weeks later, we realised
that we wanted to make a commitment to each other
and, when Anton asked me to marry him, I immediately
accepted his proposal. I'm sure we will always love
each other unconditionally. Neither of us would ever
consider having an affair with someone
else.
love that is total and does not change regardless of what
you or the object of your love does
have a sexual relationship with someone outside
marriage.

 My grandmother died six months ago and I've felt desperately sad and
deeply depressed ever since. Is this normal for a 26-year-old? Karen Young
I felt a great sadness when I had to say goodbye to my friends at the end of
our three years in university. The farewell party was such a sad occasion.
What can I do? My life feels empty without them.
I was bitterly1 disappointed recently when a friend let me down badly.
How can I express my disappointment to her without appearing silly or
childish? I'm not very good at showing my feelings.
I failed an exam recently and it was a huge disappointment to me. Now
I'm feeling increasingly anxious that I'll fail the next one. In fact I'm
worried sick. What should I do?
Anger and emotion
There is mounting [growing] anger over the new tax, along with widespread
condemnation of it [a lot of people in many different places have condemned
it]. It has especially aroused feelings of resentment among professional
people. I lost my temper and was seething with anger when she called me an
idiot. [I suddenly
became very angry]
Divorce is a highly emotional experience for all those involved. It's hard not to
give a pure emotional response. The emotional involvement of both parties is
intense, and the emotional impact on children is huge, [these are rather
formal collocations]
Jack was an emotional wreck [informal: in a bad emotional state] after his
girlfriend finished with him.

Common collocation
Have
have a bath
have a drink
have a good time
have a haircut
have a holiday
have a problem
have a relationship
have a rest
have lunch
have sympathy
DO
do business
do nothing
do someone a favour
do the cooking
do the housework
do the shopping
do the washing
do your best
do your hair
do your homework
make
make
make
make
make
make
make
make
make
make

a difference
a mess
a mistake
a noise
an effort
furniture
money
progress
room
trouble

 make arrangements for The school can make arrangements for pupils
with special needs.
make a change / changes The new manager is planning to make some
changes.
make a choice Jill had to make a choice between her career and her
family.
make a comment / comments Would anyone like to make any comments
on the talk?
make a contribution to She made a useful contribution to the
discussion.
make a decision I'm glad it's you who has to make the decision, not
me.
make an effort Joe is really making an effort with his maths this term.
make an excuse I'm too tired to go out tonight. Let's make an excuse
and stay at home
make friends Karen is very good at making friends.
make an improvement Repainting the room has really made an
improvement.
make a mistake They've made a mistake in our bill.
make a phone calf I've got to make some phone calls before dinner
make progress Harriet is making progress with all her schoolwork

collocation example
do your best All that matters in the exam is to do your best.
do damage The storm did some damage to our roof
do an experiment We are doing an experiment to test how
the metal reacts with water.
do exercises We'll do some exercises practising these
collocations tomorrow.
do someone a good turn / Scouts and guides are supposed to
do someone a good t u rn every day
do someone a favour Changing the rules may do more harm
do harm than good
Do your hair No, I'm not ready. 1 haven't done my hair
yet.
do your homework My son has to do his homework
straight after school
do the ironing/shopping/ We'll do some work on our project
and then we'll go to the cinema
washing, etc. do some work

Have
Collocationexample
have an accident Mr Grey had an accident last night but he's OK now.
have an argument / a row We had an argument / a row about how to fix
the car.
have a break Let's have a break when you finish this exercise.
have a conversation/chat 1 hope we'll have time to have a chat after
the meeting.
have difficulty The class had difficulty understanding what to do.
have a dream/nightmare 1 had a nightmare last night.
have an experience 1 had a frightening experience the other day.
have a feeling 1 have a feeling that something is wrong.
have fun / a good time I'm sure you'll have fun on the school trip.
have a look The teacher wanted to have a look at what we were doing.
have a party Let's have a party at the end of term.
have a problem / problemsAsk the teacher if you have problems with
the exercise.
have a try/goI'll explain what to do and then you can have a go/try.

 Take
Take a break
take a chance
take a look
take a rest
take a seat
take a taxi
take an exam
take notes
take someone's place
take someone's temperature
Break
break a habit
break a leg
break a promise
break a record
break a window
break someone's heart
break the ice
break the law
break the news to someone
break the rules
catch
catch a ball
catch a bus
catch a chill
catch a cold
catch a thief
catch fire
catch sight of
catch someone's attention
catch someone's eye
catch the flu

 We decided to take a holiday here. Yesterday we

took a trip to the mountains.. First we took a train
to a little town and then we took a bus going to
various villages and got off when we saw one that
we took a Irking to. Of course, we were taking a risk
as we didn't know exactly what wed find there. but
we were lucky. Some kids took an interest in us and
; showed us some great places. \ We took a lot of
photos. Have you done anything yet about your
job? Id take a chance and leave if I were you. No
point in staying somewhere where t he boss has
taken a dislike to you. Take advantage of being in
London - there are always plenty
of jobs there. You'll soon find something else, so
take action, that's my advice Good luck!

 Pay
pay a fine
pay attention
pay by credit card
pay cash
pay interest
pay someone a compliment
pay someone a visit
pay the bill
pay the price
pay your respects
Save
save electricity
save energy
save money
save one's strength
save someone a seat
save someone's life
save something to a disk
save space
save time
save yourself the trouble
Keep
keep a diary
keep a promise
keep a secret
keep an appointment
keep calm
keep control
keep in touch
keep quiet
keep someone's place
keep the change

 Come
come close
come complete with
come direct
come early
come first
come into view
come last
come late
come on time
come prepared
come right back
come second
come to a compromise
come to a decision
come to an agreement
come to an end
come to a standstill
come to terms with
come to a total of
come under attack
Go
go abroad
go astray
go bad
go bald
go bankrupt
go blind
go crazy
go dark
go deaf
go fishing
go mad
go missing
go on foot
go online
go out of business
go overseas
go quiet
go sailing
go to war
go yellow
Get
get a job
get a shock
get angry
get divorced
get drunk
get frightened
get home
get lost
get married
get nowhere
get permission
get pregnant
get ready
get started
get the impression
get the message
get the sack
get upset
get wet
get worried

Close Shut
The chairperson closed the meeting at 4.30.
[We close meetings/discussions/ conferences, etc.]
She was very rude. She said 'Shut your mouth: A dentist might ask
you to close your mouth. Shut is generally more informal.
(a) start (b) begin
(a) It was a cold morning and 1 could not start my car. [Start, NOT
begin, is used for engines and vehicles.
(b) Before the universe began, time and space did not exist. [Begin is
preferred in more formal and abstract contexts.]
(a) big (b) large
It was a big decision to make. There were some big problems to
solve.
1 wanted the sweater in the large size but they only had medium.
a) end (b) finish
The film ended with the hero dying. They ended their relationship a
year ago. [End here means decide to stop.]
1 haven't finished my homework yet. [Finish here means complete.]

 (a) charge (b) load

1 need to charge my phone. [used for batteries,
electrical items]
They loaded the lorry and drove away. [used for
cargoes, lorries, vans, ships, etc. and for weapons]
(a) injure (b) damage
Three injured people were taken to hospital after the
accident. [collocates with words to do with people]
The shop tried to sell me a damaged sofa but 1 noticed
it just in time. [collocates with words for things]
(a) grow (b) raise
In the south the farmers grow crops. [collocates with
crops, plants]
In the north the farmers mostly raise cattle. [collocates
with animals, children]

 English collocations with the word

BIG
The wordbigis often used in
collocations with a happening or
event, for example:
a big accomplishment
a big decision
a big disappointment
a big failure
a big improvement
a big mistake
a big surprise

English collocations with the word GREAT

The wordgreatis often used in collocations with feelings or qualities.
Great + feelings
great admiration
great anger
great enjoyment
great excitement
great fun
great happiness
great joy
Great + qualities
in great detail
great power
great pride
great sensitivity
great skill
great strength
great understanding
great wisdom
great wealth
English collocations with the word LARGE
The wordlargeis often used in collocations involving numbers and measurements.
a large amount
a large collection
a large number (of)
a large population
a large proportion
a large quantity
a large scale

 English collocations with the word STRONG

The wordstrongis often used in collocations with facts and
opinions:
Strong + facts/opinions
strong argument
strong emphasis
strong evidence
a strong contrast
a strong commitment
strong criticism
strong denial
a strong feeling
a strong opinion (about something)
strong resistance
Strong + senses
a strong smell
a strong taste

English collocations with the word DEEP

The worddeepis used for some strong feelings:
deep depression
deep devotion
It is also used in these expressions:
in deep thought
in deep trouble
in a deep sleep (when the person wont wake up easily)
English collocations with the word HEAVY
Heavyis used for some weather conditions
heavy rain
heavy snow
heavy fog
The wordheavyis also used for people with bad habits:
a heavy drinker
a heavy smoker
a heavy drug user
Theres also the expressiona heavy sleeper thats not someone who sleeps a
lot; instead, its a person who doesnt wake up easily when sleeping.
The wordheavyis also used in collocations with two unpleasant things: TRAFFIC and
TAXES!
heavy traffic
heavy taxes

 above average: Meaning:more than

average, esp. in amount, age, height,
weight,
For example: She thinks her kids are
of above average intelligence.
If their wealth is way above average,
their tax rates should be above average
too.
Note:A collocation with a similar
meaning is "above normal", and one
with the opposite meaning is "below
average".

 accept (a) defeat: :verb + noun

Meaning:to accept the fact that you didn't win a game, match,
contest, election,
For example: John gets angry when he loses because he finds it so
hard to accept a defeat.
They've been in power for a long time, so their defeat in this election
isn't easy for them to accept.
Note:A similar collocation is "accept a loss",
admit defeat :verb + noun
Meaning:to accept that you can't win a competition or achieve a goal
For example: We never admit defeat before a game's over, no matter
how far behind we are.
I couldn't fix the car myself, so I admitted defeat and called a mechanic.
accept a challenge: collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to agree to do something difficult or dangerous
For example: Being captain of the team won't be easy, but I'm sure
David will accept the challenge.
This really big guy challenged me to a fight, but instead of accepting I
ran away as fast as I could.

accept an apology : :verb + noun

Meaning:to forgive someone who says they're sorry
For example:
My mistake was serious, but luckily the boss accepted my apology.
She refused to accept her husband's apology and said she wanted a
divorce.
accept an invitation: verb + noun
Meaning:to say "yes" after getting an invitation
For example:
Most of the people we invited to the party have accepted their
invitation already.
We sent out two hundred invitations to the conference, and so far
around a hundred have been accepted.
accept responsibility: verb + noun
Meaning:to take the blame when something goes wrong
For example:
The bank is refusing to accept responsibility for the mistake.
The manager has accepted full responsibility for the company's
problems.

 answer a letter :verb + noun

Meaning:to write back to someone who sent you a
letter: "answer an email" and "answer a text
message
For example: Have you answered your mum's
letter yet?
The letters in that pile haven't been answered yet,
but the letters in this one have.
answer a prayer: collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to respond to a prayer
For example: Does she really think that God will
answer her prayers?
They're hoping that their prayers for peace and
justice will be answer

 answer a question: verb + noun

Meaning:to reply with information or an opinion
after being asked a question
For example: Would you mind answering a few
questions?
If the judge asks you a question, you have to
answer it.
ask a question: collocation pattern:verb +
noun
Meaning:to ask somebody to tell you something
For example:
If you want to ask a question, put up your hand.
What sort of questions did they ask you in the job
interview?

 ask for advice: collocation

pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to ask someone what they
think you should do
For example:
Don't be afraid to ask for advice if
you're not sure what to do.
Why don't you ask your sister for some
advice? She knows all about fashion.
Related collocations include "ask for
help" and "ask for suggestions ask for
direction

 ask permission: collocation

pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to ask your boss, teacher,
parent, etc. if you can do something
For example:
If you want to leave work early, you
have to ask permission first.
Did you ask your parent's permission
before going to the party?

 bad breath: adjective + noun

Meaning:breath that doesn't smell nice
For example: The worst thing about my new
boyfriend is his bad breath.
Your breath wouldn't be so bad if you cleaned
your teeth more often.
bad habit: collocation pattern:adjective + noun
Meaning:a habit that badly affects you or other
people, or that others think is wrong or bad
For example:
My uncle's got lots of bad habits, like gambling
and drinking too much.
Jenny has a bad habit of interrupting other people
when they're speaking.

 bad loser:adjective + noun

Meaning:someone who gets upset or angry
when they lose
For example: Nobody likes a bad loser.
He's the worst loser ever. He blamed the weather,
the golf course and even his own golf clubs!
bad temper :adjective + noun
Meaning:a tendency to become angry quickly
and easily
For example: Bob's got a really bad temper, so if
I were you I wouldn't marry him.
Dad had a bad temper and he'd beat mum and us
kids when he got really mad.

 blind faith :adjective + noun

Meaning:unquestioning belief in something, even when it's unreasonable
or wrong
For example: Blind faith is still fuelling many religious conflicts.
The Buddha told us to find out for ourselves, and never demanded blind
faith.
blind loyalty: adjective + noun
Meaning:unquestioning support under any circumstances
For example:
Blind loyalty to fanatical leaders led to the most terrible wars of the 20 th
century.
Because of their blind loyalty, people committed shocking crimes they'd
never normally commit.
blind obedience :adjective + noun
Meaning:unquestioning obedience, even when you're told to do something
you know is wrong
For example: Normal people did terrible things by following orders with
blind obedience.
It takes a lot of courage to refuse to do the wrong thing when blind
obedience is expected.

 call a meeting collocation pattern:verb + noun

to order or invite people to hold a meeting
For example: Ahmed has called a meeting of all senior marketing staff.
We were at an emergency meeting called by the mayor when the cyclone
hit.
call a name: :verb + noun
Meaning:to say somebody's name loudly
For example: When I call your name, put up your hand.
If your name wasn't called, it means you can go now.
call an election: collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to decide that an election will be held
For example: The prime minister has to call an election before the end
of the year.
The government was under a lot of pressure, but it refused to call new
elections.
call attention to: collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to make someone notice or consider someone or something
For example:
Should we call attention to the problem, or just forget about it?
The protesters are calling attention to the issue of homelessness.

 call sb names: :verb + noun

Meaning:to tease or bully
somebody by calling them nasty or
offensive names
For example:
Mindy was bullied and called names
by a gang of nasty little girls.
He's a bit overweight, so the other
guys call him names like "fatty" and
"lard bucket"

 can't afford: collocation pattern:verb + verb

Meaning:unable to buy or do something because it's too expensive
or problematic
For example:
We went to Italy last year, but we can't afford a holiday this year.
You can't afford to have any more days off or you'll lose your job.
can't help
collocation pattern:verb + verb
Meaning:unable to stop yourself doing something you shouldn't do
For example: We know it's serious, but we can't help smiling.
I tried not to cough, but I just couldn't help it.
can't stand: collocation pattern:verb + verb
Meaning:dislike someone or something very much
For example: I can't stand my sister's husband. He's an idiot.
Jenny can't stand the sight of blood, so she wouldn't make a very
good nurse.

 conduct research
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to organize and carry out research into
something
For example:
We're conducting research into the links between stress
and cancer.
The research was conducted over a period of five years.
contact details
This page is about the collocationcontact details.
collocation pattern:noun + noun
Meaning:details you need to contact someone, like a
telephone number, email address, etc.
For example:
Can you give me your contact details, please?
You can find all our contact details on our website.

 follow a pattern: collocation pattern:verb + noun

Happen in a regular way, or according to a pattern
For example: Economic development follows a
similar pattern in most countries.
After noticing that the crimes were following a pattern,
we were able to solve them.
follow advice: collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to do what someone advises you to do
For example:
If I were you, I'd follow his advice. He's a smart guy.
I didn't follow anyone's advice when I was young. I
thought I knew everything.
follow directions: :verb + noun
Meaning:to go the way you've been told to go, or do
something as directed
For example: We found the station by following a
policeman's directions.

 give a hand :verb + noun

Meaning:to give help, support or
assistance
For example: Can I give you a hand
with those bags?
If Marian hadn't given me a hand with
the invoices, I wouldn't have finished
them on time.
Note:Related collocations include
"give help", "give support" and "lend a
(helping) hand".

give advice
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to tell somebody what you think
they should do
For example:
Would you mind giving me some advice? I'm
not sure what to do.
Lawyers at the legal aid centre give free
legal advice to anyone who needs it.
Note:Related collocations include "give (sb)
a suggestion" and "give (sb) your opinion"

give birth
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:If a mother gives birth, her
unborn baby passes into the outside
world.
For example:
Joanna gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Did the kids watch Mindy giving birth to
her kittens?

give evidence
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to say what you witnessed or
know in a court of law or at an inquiry
For example:
Has she agreed to give evidence at the
trial?
Some of the witnesses were too scared
to give evidence at the corruption
inquiry.

give notice
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to tell somebody that a job,
or the occupation of a property, will end
at a certain time
For example:
When they fired me from my job, they
only gave me two weeks' notice.
Our neighbours were given notice
because they got behind in t

give permission
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to allow or permit
somebody to do something
For example:
Did your parents give you permission
to go to the party?
You can't protest in the street unless
you've been given permission by the
council first.

give rise to
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to cause or result in
something
For example:
What other problems did the delay
give rise to?
Drinking unclean water can give rise
to a range of health problems.

give sb a
Call : Meaning:to telephone somebody
For example: I'll give you a call later
If you feel like a chat, just give me a call.
Chance: to give somebody the opportunity to do something
For example: The police didn't give me a chance to explain. They
just arrested me.
All the contestants were given the chance to show off their talent.
give sb a lift
This page is about the collocationgive sb a lift.
collocation pattern:verb + noun
Meaning:to take somebody somewhere in a car or other vehicle
For example:
Can you give me lift to the post office on your way to work?
I jumped on the back of his motorbike and he gave me a lift to the
station.