4 Types of collocation

There are many different types of collocation. Here are some examples.

A Adjectives and nouns

Notice adjectives that are typically used with particular nouns.
Emma always wears red or yellow or some other bright colour.
We had a brief chat about the exams but didn’t have time to discuss them properly.
Unemployment is a major problem for the government at the moment.
Improving the health service is another key issue for government.

B Nouns and verbs

Notice how nouns and verbs often go together. The examples below are all to do with economics
and business.
The economy boomed in the 1990s. [the economy was very strong]
The company has grown and now employs 50 more people than last year.
The company has expanded and now has branches in most major cities.
The two companies merged in 2013 and now form one very large corporation.
The company launched the product in 2012. [introduced the product]
The price increase poses a problem for us. [is a problem]
The internet has created opportunities for our business. [brought new opportunities]

C Noun + noun
There are a lot of collocations with the pattern a … of … .
As Max read the lies about him, he felt a surge of anger. [literary: a sudden angry feeling]
Every parent feels a sense of pride when their child does well or wins something.
I felt a pang of nostalgia when I saw the old photos of the village where I grew up.

D Verbs and expressions with prepositions

Some verbs collocate with particular prepositional expressions.
As Jack went on stage to receive his gold medal for the judo competition you could see his parents
swelling with pride. [looking extremely proud]
I was filled with horror when I read the newspaper report of the explosion.
When she spilt juice on her new skirt the little girl burst into tears. [suddenly started crying]

E Verbs and adverbs

Some verbs have particular adverbs which regularly collocate with them.
She pulled steadily on the rope and helped him to safety. [pulled firmly and evenly]
He placed the beautiful vase gently on the window ledge.
‘I love you and want to marry you,’ Dylan whispered softly to Madison.
She smiled proudly as she looked at the photos of her new grandson.

F Adverbs and adjectives

Adjectives often have particular adverbs which regularly collocate with them.
They are happily married.
I am fully aware that there are serious problems. [I know well]
Harry was blissfully unaware that he was in danger. [Harry had no idea at all, often used about something
unpleasant]

12 English Collocations in Use Intermediate

 7 Everyday verbs 1
This unit deals with make and do, two verbs that many learners have problems with. If you
remember that the basic meaning of make is about producing something and the basic meaning of
do is about performing an action, then the collocations on this page may seem more logical.

A Make

collocation example
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 Amelia had to make a choice between her career and her family.
make a comment / Would anyone like to make any comments on the talk?
comments
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 Michael 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 Caroline 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 call I’ve got to make some phone calls before dinner.
make progress Holly is making progress with all her schoolwork.

B Do

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 / Could you do me a favour and pick me up some milk from the supermarket?
do someone a favour Jess did me a good turn by lending me her car while mine was in the garage.
do harm Changing the rules may do more harm than good.
do your hair No, I’m not ready. I haven’t done my hair yet.
do your homework My son has to do his homework straight after school.
do the ironing/shopping/ I’ll do the washing if you do the ironing.
washing, etc.
do some work We’ll do some work on our project and then we’ll go to the cinema.

Tip
Notice all the patterns that you can see in these tables. For example, make a comment, make an
excuse and make a contribution to a discussion are all connected with saying things.
Noticing connections like this may help you to remember the correct collocation.

18 English Collocations in Use Intermediate

 Exercises
7.1 Use a collocation with make and a noun instead of the underlined words in each of these
conversations.
1 Naomi: The bill says we’ve had three desserts. We only had two.
Stella: The waiter must have been mistaken.
2 Avery: It’s so difficult. Should I take the job or not?
Owen: I know it’s difficult. But you have to decide one way or the other.
3 Grace: Can you and Ethan come to dinner on Saturday?
Lily: Yes, we’ll have to arrange to get a babysitter, but it should be OK.
4 Zoe: Did you hear about the air traffic controllers’ strike in the USA?
Aaron: Yes. We had to change our travel itinerary because of it.
5 Luke: Can I have chips and rice with my lunch?
Clare: No, you have to choose, chips or rice, but not both.
6 Gavin: Do you intend to speak at the meeting?
Victoria: Yes, I hope I can contribute to the debate.

7.2 Choose the correct collocation, do or make.

1 Did the fire do / make much damage to the factory?
2 I hate doing / making my homework at the last minute.
3 You must do / make an effort to work harder.
4 Did you do / make any work at the weekend?
5 We are trying to do / make improvements to the system for registering.
6 Do you think it would do / make any harm if I cut some leaves off this plant?
7.3 You are designing a questionnaire for your school website. Complete each question with
do or make.

HOW NICE ARE YOU?

1 Do you .......................... your best to be on
time when meeting a friend?
ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER

2 Do you ever .......................... the cooking at home?

ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER
3 Do you .......................... excuses if someone asks
you to .......................... a big favour for them?
ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER

4 Do you ever .......................... negative comments

about your friends’ hair, clothes, etc?
ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER

5 Do you find it easy to .......................... friends?

ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Give yourself three points for ‘always’, two for
‘sometimes’, one for ‘never’. Turn the page to find
out how nice you really are.

English Collocations in Use Intermediate 19

 8 Everyday verbs 2
Get is a very common verb in English, but it is not always appropriate for talking about changes. Note
also alternatives to get which can improve your style.

A Go, not get

Go is used for changes in people’s personality, appearance and physical abilities:
People go mad/bald/grey/blind/deaf.
Go is often used for sudden, usually negative, changes:
He was very embarrassed and his face went red.
Suddenly the sky went very dark and it started to rain.
Go can also be used for slower colour changes:
The pages of the book had gone yellow over the years.

B Turn, not get

Turn often collocates with colours:
The sky turned gold as the sun set.
When the tomatoes turn red, the farmers pick them and sell them.
The news gave his mother such a shock that her hair turned white overnight.

C Get and become

Get and become can often be used with the same collocations, but become is more formal and is
therefore more appropriate in essays:
She gave up smoking when she became pregnant.
I would like to become involved in raising money for charity.
The same is true for collocations with adjectives such as angry, bored, excited, depressed, upset,
impatient, violent:
He became depressed after his wife’s death.
Become, not get, is used with the following: extinct, (un)popular, homeless, famous.
Our local baker’s has become famous for its apple tarts.

D Alternatives to get and become

She fell ill and was taken to hospital.
Everyone fell silent when they heard the shocking news.
As my father grew older, he spent less time working.
The noise grew louder and soon we realised it was a plane approaching.

E Overusing and misusing get

Here are some sentences from students’ essays where get is wrongly used.

sentences with get more appropriate alternatives

I was able to get new friends. I was able to make new friends.
A year ago he got a heart attack. A year ago he had/suffered a heart attack.
If I get a child of my own one day ... If I have a child of my own one day ...
I was getting crazy. I was going crazy.
In June, I got a baby, James. In June, I had a baby, James.

20 English Collocations in Use Intermediate

 Exercises
8.1 Answer these questions using collocations from A and B.
1 What can happen to men as they get older? (Clue: Think of their hair.)
2 What can happen if you are embarrassed? (Clue: Think of your face.)
3 What can happen if you get bad news? (Clue: Think of your face or hair.)
4 What can happen to the pages of a newspaper after a long time?
5 What happens to strawberries as they ripen?
6 The poet John Milton lost his eyesight at the end of his life. What is another way of
saying that?
7 The composer Beethoven lost his hearing at the end of his life. What is another way
of saying that?
8 At the end of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet loses his mind. What is another way of
saying that?
9 If it is about to rain, what might happen to the sky?
8.2 Look at C, D and E opposite. Correct these sentences.
1 Dinosaurs got extinct thousands of years ago.
2 When I get married, I’d like to get lots of children.
3 Jasmine fell depressed after failing her final exams.
4 Niklas has always dreamt of getting famous.
5 Would you be interested in growing involved in this project?
6 More people have got homeless this year than in any previous year.
7 My sister got a baby last week.
8 My grandfather got a heart attack last winter.
8.3 Replace each use of get with a verb from the box.

fall    become    grow    have    make

As you get older, you’ll begin to understand your parents

better. Getting angry with them all the time doesn’t help. You
may not want to go to summer camp when none of your
friends will be there, but your parents know you will soon get
new friends there. You would all have gone on a family holiday
together if your grandmother hadn’t got ill, but surely you can
understand why they don’t want to leave her. You’ll feel much
more sympathetic to your parents’ feelings when you get a
child of your own!

8.4 Complete the collocations in these sentences.

1 I think I’d go ............................................. if I had to put up with such a terrible boss!
2 It was a wonderful sunset. The sky ............................................. gold and we sat on the terrace enjoying it.
3 Once upon a time the walls were probably cream but they have ............................................. brown now
and badly need repainting.
4 When I start ............................................. grey, I’m definitely going to dye my hair.
5 As the head teacher walked into the hall, the children all ............................................. silent.
6 The noise on the street ............................................. louder and I looked out of the window to see what was
happening.
7 My grandmother is a little afraid of ............................................. ill while she is abroad.
8 I was so embarrassed that I ............................................. bright red.

English Collocations in Use Intermediate 21

 9 Everyday verbs 3
A Have
Note that these verbs collocate with have rather than any other verb (e.g. get or make).

collocation example
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 I 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 I had a nightmare last night.
have an experience I had a frightening experience the other day.
have a feeling I 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 manager 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 / problems Ask the teacher if you have problems with the exercise.
have a try/go I’ll explain what to do and then you can have a go/try.

B Take
Reply Forward
Hi, Jean,
We’re so glad 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 liking
to. Of course, we were taking a risk as we didn’t know exactly what we’d 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? I’d take a chance and leave if I
were you. No point in staying somewhere where the 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!

Ellen

C Pay
collocation example
pay attention You must pay attention to the teacher.
pay a compliment I was trying to pay her a compliment but she misunderstood.
pay your (last) respects At a funeral people pay their last respects to the person who has died.
pay tribute [formal] When Jack retired, his boss made a speech paying tribute to all he had
done for the company.

Tip
There are other common verbs in English which have strong and possibly surprising collocations.
Notice any that you find with, for example, break, fall, run and take.

22 English Collocations in Use Intermediate

 Exercises
9.1 Complete the questions using collocations from A opposite.
1 You want a friend to look at a letter you have written before you send it.
YOU: Could you .........................................................................................................................................................................................?
2 You want to know why your two friends aren’t speaking to each other.
YOU: Why aren’t you speaking to Hazel? Did you ..................................................................................................?
3 A friend comes to school on crutches with a bandage round her head.
YOU: What happened? Did you .................................................................................................................................................?
4 You want to know if a friend did lots of enjoyable things on their recent holiday.
YOU: How was the holiday? Did you ..................................................................................................................................?
5 You are having a meeting with some colleagues. You think it is time to stop for half an
hour or so.
YOU: Shall we .............................................................................................................................................................................................?
6 A friend has just bought a new bicycle. You’d like to ride it to see what it’s like.
YOU: Nice bike! Can I .........................................................................................................................................................................?
7 You want to talk informally to your tutor about what to do next year.
YOU: When you’re free, could I .................................................................................................................................................?
8 A friend is trying with difficulty to read your address, which you have just written down
for them.
YOU: What’s the matter? Are you ............................................................................................................................................?
9.2 Choose the correct collocation.
1
She had / took / paid attention to what I told her and started working harder.
2
I had / made / took over a hundred photographs on my trip to Antarctica.
3
She made / paid / brought me a nice compliment yesterday.
4
I got / made / had a bad dream last night and woke up sweating.
5
The President made / gave / paid tribute to all the people who had supported him.
6
I got / took / had a liking to my new doctor the moment I met her.
7
I gave / made / had a feeling I had met Richard before, but I couldn’t remember where.
8
I went to Douglas Farnham’s funeral to give / take / pay my last respects to a fine man.
9
I think I’ll take / make / do a chance and leave my flight booking till the last minute.
I may get a cheaper ticket.
10 Shall we make / get / have a party for Ruby? She’s moving to Manchester next week.
11 We need to make / get / take action immediately!
12 I had / got / took a feeling that he was trying to hide something from me.
9.3 Which collocations in this text could be replaced by collocations with take instead of the
verbs used?

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English Collocations in Use Intermediate 23