Collocations

Collocations are a vital aspect of the English language, particularly in business settings, where certain nouns are frequently combined with certain verbs or adjectives to form a specific expression. A collocation is defined as a pair or group of words that typically co-occur in a language with greater frequency than would be expected by chance. They can be difficult for non-native English speakers to learn because they do not always follow strict grammatical rules.
Here are some examples of common collocations in English, organised by verb:
- break a record – She broke a record in the high jump.
- catch a bus – I need to catch the bus to get to work.
- draw a conclusion – After analysing the data, we can draw a conclusion.
- fall asleep – He always falls asleep while watching TV.
- get a degree – She’s planning to get a degree in psychology.
- hold a meeting – We need to hold a meeting to discuss the project.
- make a decision – It’s time to make a decision about our vacation plans.
- pay attention – Please pay attention to the safety rules.
- take a break – Let’s take a break and grab some coffee.
- run a business – My uncle runs a successful bakery.
- do the dishes – I’ll do the dishes after dinner.
- go on a trip – They’re planning to go on a trip to Europe next summer.
- give a presentation – He’s nervous about giving a presentation at the conference.
- have a conversation – I enjoy having conversations with people from different cultures.
- keep a promise – It’s important to keep your promises.
- lose weight – She’s been trying to lose weight for months.
- take a picture – Let’s take a picture to remember this moment.
- tell a lie – She told a lie to avoid getting in trouble.
- write an essay – I have to write an essay for my literature class.
- break the news – I don’t know how to break the news to her that she didn’t get the job.
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