B102 Collocations

MOST COMMON COLLOCATIONS

Verb + Noun Collocations

  1. make a decision
  2. make a mistake
  3. make progress
  4. make an effort
  5. take a break
  6. take a chance
  7. take a look
  8. take responsibility
  9. have a good time
  10. have a problem
  11. have a meeting
  12. do homework
  13. do business
  14. do someone a favor
  15. catch a bus
  16. catch a cold
  17. pay attention
  18. pay a bill
  19. keep a promise
  20. keep in touch

Adjective + Noun Collocations

  1. strong coffee
  2. heavy rain
  3. fast food
  4. high price
  5. low cost
  6. big mistake
  7. great success
  8. deep sleep
  9. close friend
  10. rich culture

Verb + Adverb Collocations

  1. speak clearly
  2. drive carefully
  3. work hard
  4. try hard
  5. strongly agree
  6. deeply regret
  7. fully understand
  8. clearly explain

Noun + Noun Collocations

  1. traffic jam
  2. bus stop
  3. coffee shop
  4. school bus
  5. data analysis
  6. weather forecast

Preposition Collocations

  1. interested in
  2. afraid of
  3. good at
  4. responsible for
  5. depend on
  6. belong to

QUIZZES

Part 1: Choose the correct word (Multiple Choice)

  1. I need to ______ a decision soon.
    a) do
    b) make
    c) take
  2. She ______ a mistake in her report.
    a) made
    b) did
    c) took
  3. Let’s ______ a break after this lesson.
    a) do
    b) make
    c) take
  4. He always ______ attention in class.
    a) pays
    b) makes
    c) does
  5. We ______ homework every evening.
    a) make
    b) do
    c) take
  6. I ______ a cold last week.
    a) caught
    b) took
    c) did
  7. Please ______ a look at this document.
    a) do
    b) take
    c) make
  8. She ______ a good time at the party.
    a) did
    b) had
    c) made
  9. He ______ a promise to help me.
    a) did
    b) kept
    c) made
  10. I will ______ in touch with you.
    a) keep
    b) do
    c) take

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

Part 2: Fill in the blanks

Use the correct collocation.

  1. It’s raining heavily. We have heavy rain today.
  2. I need a cup of strong coffee to wake up.
  3. That was a big mistake.
  4. She is my close friend.
  5. The company had a great success last year.

Part 3: Match the collocations

Match a number with a letter

  1. take                         a) a bill
  2. pay                          b) a chance
  3. catch                      c) a bus
  4. keep                       d) a promise
  5. have                       e) a meeting

ANSWERS: 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. e

Part 4: Correct the mistake

Each sentence has one collocation error. Correct it.

  1. I did a decision yesterday.
  2. She made homework last night.
  3. He took a mistake in the test.
  4. We did a break after lunch .
  5. I paid a look at the report.

ANSWERS: 1 make 2 did  3 made  4 took  5 took

Part 5: Sentence creation

Use the collocation in a sentence.

  1. make progress
  2. heavy rain
  3. take responsibility
  4. strongly agree
  5. traffic jam

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK TEXT

A Busy Day

Yesterday was a very busy day for Anna. In the morning, she had to make a decision about a new job. She didn’t want to make a mistake, so she tried to think hard about her options.

Before work, she quickly did homework for her evening class and then went out to catch a bus. Unfortunately, there was a terrible traffic jam, so she arrived late.

When she got to the office, her manager asked her to take responsibility for a new project. Anna agreed and promised to make an effort to do her best. During the meeting, she paid attention and took notes because she wanted to make progress quickly.

At lunch, she went to a small coffee shop and ordered a cup of strong coffee. It helped because she had not slept well the night before due to heavy rain.

In the afternoon, she had to pay a bill and also take a look at some data analysis reports. Her colleague said he strongly agreed with her ideas, which made her feel confident.

Later, her boss told her, “You must take a chance and present your plan tomorrow.” Anna was a little nervous, but she knew she had to keep a promise she made to herself—to be more confident.

After work, she met a close friend for dinner. They talked about work, life, and their plans. Anna said she was very interested in learning new skills and becoming more independent.

When she got home, she was very tired and fell into a deep sleep. Even though it was a long day, she felt it was a great success.

Before going to bed, she decided to keep in touch with her old colleagues and wrote a few messages. Then she sat at the bus stop near her house for a while, thinking about her future.

She knew life could be difficult, but she was ready to work hard, move forward, and build a better future.