March 2026 · Vocabulary
Collocations — words that naturally go together — are what separate fluent speakers from technically correct but "unnatural-sounding" learners. A student might say "make a decision" correctly but say "do a decision" instead, which is grammatically possible but not how English works. Teaching collocations helps students sound more natural and improves their receptive skills when reading and listening to authentic English.
| Type | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + Noun | make/do/take/have + noun | make a mistake, do homework, take a break, have a shower |
| Adjective + Noun | adj + noun | heavy rain, strong coffee, fast food, deep sleep |
| Verb + Adverb | verb + adv | speak fluently, work hard, sleep soundly, breathe deeply |
| Adverb + Adjective | adv + adj | highly unlikely, deeply concerned, fully aware, bitterly cold |
| Noun + Noun | noun + noun | traffic jam, bus stop, heart attack, income tax |
| Verb + Preposition | verb + prep | depend on, believe in, listen to, wait for |
Train students to notice collocations in texts. When they encounter a new word, ask: "What words often appear with this word?" Record whole phrases, not isolated words: not just "decision" but "make a decision / reach a decision / difficult decision."
Introduce students to collocation dictionaries (Oxford Collocations Dictionary). Teach them to look up the NOUN and find associated verbs and adjectives, rather than looking up individual words in regular dictionaries.
When reading texts, have students underline or highlight collocation pairs. This builds awareness gradually without explicit memorization. Follow up with matching or gap-fill exercises based on the text.
Dedicate specific lessons to confusing collocation pairs. Create clear categorization exercises and visual charts that students can reference.
Match verbs to their noun collocates: make → (a decision / a mistake / progress) vs. do → (homework / the dishes / business). Start with common pairs and build complexity.
Provide sentences with one word missing from a collocation: "She _____ a deep breath before speaking." (took). Context helps students learn which word "fits" naturally.
Present groups of words where one doesn't collocate: "make: a mistake / a decision / a homework / a suggestion." Students identify the odd one (homework → do homework).
Create domino cards where one half has a word and students must match it to the correct collocate on another card. Physical, game-like, and effective for review.
Give students a text with collocations scrambled ("I did a mistake and made my homework late"). They correct the collocations to natural versions.
| Level | Focus Areas | Example Collocations |
|---|---|---|
| A1–A2 | Basic verb-noun, common adj-noun | have breakfast, play football, good morning, bad weather |
| B1 | Make/do distinction, everyday collocations | make a decision, do exercise, heavy traffic, catch a cold |
| B2 | Academic collocations, adverb-adj pairs | conduct research, highly recommended, significantly reduce |
| C1–C2 | Subtle distinctions, register-specific | lodge a complaint, harbor suspicions, bitterly disappointed |
Focus on 5–8 collocations per lesson, all related to the same topic or word. Depth is more important than breadth. Students need to encounter collocations multiple times across different contexts before they stick.
Both approaches work. For B1+ students, a mix is ideal: highlight collocations in reading texts (discovery), then follow up with explicit practice (matching, gap-fill). For lower levels, explicit teaching of the most common collocations (make/do/have/take + nouns) is essential.
Encourage collocation notebooks organized by topic or key word. Each entry should include the full collocation, an example sentence, and optionally an L1 translation. Digital flashcard tools like Edooqoo's Smart Flashcards can automate spaced repetition review.