B102-1 Collocations

MOST COMMON COLLOCATIONS

Noun + Adjective: heavy rain, strong wind, loud noise.

Verb + Adjective: come true, get married, keep in touch

Verb + Noun Phrase: have fun, have a conversation

Verb + Noun: make a decision, take a break, catch a bus, pay attention, do homework, make money, have breakfast, break a promise, keep a secret, tell a lie, save time, waste time, lose weight, gain experience, raise awareness, run a business, hold a meeting, miss a chance, draw a conclusion, set an example, take responsibility, make progress, catch a cold, give advice, take notes, do business, make friends, do research, make a mistake, take action, face a problem, solve a problem, pass an exam, fail an exam, keep calm, lose patience, make an effort, reach a goal, take a photo, make a plan, keep a promise

 

DON’T TAKE IT LITERALLY

QUIZZES

Part 1: Multiple Choice (Choose the correct collocation)

  1. We need to ______ a decision before Friday.
    a) do
    b) make
    c) take
    d) hold
  2. She always ______ attention in class.
    a) pays
    b) does
    c) makes
    d) catches
  3. I usually ______ breakfast at 7:00 AM.
    a) do
    b) make
    c) have
    d) catch
  4. He ______ a mistake on the test.
    a) did
    b) made
    c) took
    d) had
  5. They want to ______ friends with their new neighbors.
    a) do
    b) make
    c) catch
    d) hold
  6. Please ______ notes during the lecture.
    a) make
    b) do
    c) take
    d) hold
  7. She ______ weight after exercising regularly.
    a) lost
    b) broke
    c) failed
    d) passed
  8. We should ______ research before starting.
    a) make
    b) do
    c) hold
    d) catch
  9. He ______ a cold last winter.
    a) made
    b) caught
    c) took
    d) paid
  10. They ______ progress every year.
    a) do
    b) catch
    c) make
    d) keep

ANSWERS: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-b, 5-b, 6-c, 7-a, 8-b, 9-b, 10-c

Part 2: Fill in the Blank

  1. Heavy rain can cause flooding.
  2. Please take a break after two hours of work.
  3. She always keeps her promises.
  4. We must take responsibility for our actions.
  5. I must go catch the bus now, it’s about to leave.
  6. They run their business very well, it’s making a lot of profit.
  7. Don’t waste time on unimportant things.
  8. She finally reached her goal of walking 10 km every day.
  9. You should keep calm during emergencies.
  10. He told a lie to avoid trouble.

Part 3: Match the Collocations

Match Column A with Column B:

Column AColumn B
21. makea. breakfast
22. takeb. a promise
23. keepc. a decision
24. haved. notes
25. breake. a secret

Answers: 21-c 22-d 23-e 24-a 25-b

Part 4: Correct the Mistake

Rewrite the sentence correctly.

  1. She did a decision quickly.
  2. He made homework after school.
  3. We caught a meeting yesterday.
  4. I paid a bus to school.
  5. They did friends easily.
  6. She made breakfast every morning.
  7. He lost a cold last week.
  8. We took research carefully.
  9. She did progress rapidly.
  10. They broke calm during the crisis.

Answers

  1. She made a decision quickly.
  2. He did homework after school.
  3. We held a meeting yesterday.
  4. I caught the bus to school.
  5. They made friends easily.
  6. She had breakfast every morning.
  7. He caught a cold last week.
  8. We did research carefully.
  9. She made progress rapidly.
  10. They kept calm during the crisis.

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK TEXT

Last year, Anna decided to make a plan to improve her life. First, she wanted to lose weight and gain experience by joining a fitness club and volunteering at a local charity. Every morning, she had breakfast early, caught the bus to work, and paid attention during meetings. Her company was growing quickly because her manager knew how to run a business and make good decisions.

One day, Anna’s team had to hold a meeting to solve a serious problem. There was heavy rain outside, strong wind shook the windows, and loud noise from construction nearby made it difficult to focus. Still, Anna kept calm, took notes, and made progress on the project. She did research carefully and drew a conclusion that helped the team take action immediately.

Anna also learned to keep a promise and never tell a lie. She believed that honesty would help her make friends and keep in touch with important people. Although she once made a mistake by missing a chance to lead a project, she chose to take responsibility instead of blaming others. Her boss said she set an example for the whole office.

Outside work, Anna wanted to save time and avoid wasting time. She joined language classes, where she did homework every evening and made an effort to improve her English. Her dream was to pass an exam and become an international consultant. After months of hard work, her dream finally came true.

During winter, Anna caught a cold, but she continued to keep a secret about a surprise event for her best friend’s wedding. She helped organize everything, from taking photos to giving advice. On the wedding day, Anna was happy to see her friend get married.

Anna realized that success requires more than talent. It means keeping calm during difficulties, facing problems directly, and never breaking promises. By learning from mistakes, reaching goals, and raising awareness about self-discipline, she transformed her life. Her story shows that when people make progress, take breaks when needed, and continue making efforts, they can truly build a better future.

MAKE A SENTENCE WITH THE TRUE MEANING OF THE COLLOCATION