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B1 – C1

English Collocations: The Complete Guide

Everything you need to use natural word combinations in English, verb+noun, adjective+noun collocations, the classic do vs make confusion, and exam practice.

📖 Reading time: ~12 minutes ✅ Reviewed by a CELTA-qualified teacher 🎯 Covers A1 to B2

1. Introduction — What Are Collocations?

A collocation is a pair or group of words that native speakers naturally use together, not because of any grammar rule, but simply because that's the combination English uses. You "make a decision," never "do a decision"; you have "strong coffee," never "powerful coffee." Both alternatives are grammatically correct sentences, but only one sounds natural, and that's exactly what makes collocations difficult: there's no rule to apply, only patterns to learn.

2. Quick Summary

⚡ Collocations at a Glance

DefinitionWords that are naturally used together, not by rule but by convention.

Example"make a decision," "heavy rain," "deeply concerned"

Common TypesVerb+noun, adjective+noun, adverb+adjective, verb+preposition

Common Mistake"do a mistake" instead of "make a mistake"

Memory TipLearn whole phrases, not single words, when building vocabulary.

🇪🇸

Resumen en español Las colocaciones son combinaciones de palabras que los hablantes nativos usan de forma fija, como "make a decision" (nunca "do a decision"). Estas combinaciones casi nunca se traducen palabra por palabra desde el español ("tomar una decisión" usa "tomar", no "hacer"), por lo que hay que aprenderlas como unidades completas.

3. Verb + Noun Collocations

Verb	Common Nouns	Example
make	a decision, an effort, a mistake, progress, a difference	She made a huge effort to arrive on time.
do	homework, a favour, business, damage, research	He did a lot of research before buying it.
have	a shower, a break, an argument, a look, a chat	Let's have a quick chat about the project.
take	a risk, a photo, a decision (less common than "make"), advice, a break	She took a risk by changing careers.
catch	a cold, a bus, someone's attention, a glimpse	I caught a cold last week.

4. Adjective + Noun Collocations

Adjective	Common Nouns	Example
strong	coffee, accent, opinion, chance	She has a strong opinion on this.
heavy	rain, traffic, smoker, luggage	There was heavy traffic on the way home.
major	problem, decision, role, difference	This played a major role in the outcome.
high	quality, risk, expectations, speed	The product is known for its high quality.

5. Adverb + Adjective Collocations

Adverb	Common Adjectives	Example
deeply	concerned, moved, affected, grateful	We are deeply concerned about the delay.
highly	likely, unlikely, recommended, skilled	This is a highly recommended course.
bitterly	disappointed, cold, contested	She was bitterly disappointed with the result.
fully	aware, booked, prepared, qualified	He is fully qualified for the role.

6. do vs make — The Classic Confusion

These two are the single most confused collocation pair for learners at every level, since both translate to similar general meanings in many other languages.

Use "do" for	Use "make" for
General activities: do the shopping, do homework	Creating/producing something: make a cake, make a plan
Work/tasks: do a job, do business	Decisions and choices: make a decision, make a choice
Favours and duties: do a favour, do your duty	Communication: make a comment, make a promise

7. Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect	✅ Correct	Why
I did a mistake.	I made a mistake.	"Mistake" collocates with "make," not "do."
She made her homework.	She did her homework.	"Homework" collocates with "do," not "make."
He has a powerful coffee every morning.	He has a strong coffee every morning.	"Coffee" collocates with "strong," not "powerful."
I made a photo of the sunset.	I took a photo of the sunset.	"Photo" collocates with "take," not "make."

8. Exercises

A. Gap Fill — Complete with the correct collocating word (10 questions)

1. I need to ___ a decision by Friday.

2. She ___ her homework every evening.

3. He ___ a big mistake at work.

4. Let's ___ a break and get some coffee.

5. They ___ a huge effort to finish on time.

6. I ___ a cold last week.

7. This coffee is very ___.

8. There was ___ traffic on the motorway.

9. We are ___ concerned about the results.

10. He is ___ qualified for the position.

Show Answers (A)

1. make 2. does 3. made 4. take 5. made 6. caught 7. strong 8. heavy 9. deeply 10. fully

B. Multiple Choice (5 questions)

1. I ___ a mistake yesterday. (a) did (b) made

2. She ___ her homework every day. (a) does (b) makes

3. He ___ a photo of the mountains. (a) made (b) took

4. This is a ___ recommended book. (a) highly (b) strongly

5. We were ___ disappointed. (a) bitterly (b) strongly

Show Answers (B)

1.b 2.a 3.b 4.a 5.a

C. Error Correction (5 questions)

1. I did a mistake.

2. She made her homework.

3. He has a powerful coffee every morning.

4. I made a photo of the sunset.

5. There was strong traffic this morning.

Show Answers (C)

1. I made a mistake.
2. She did her homework.
3. He has a strong coffee every morning.
4. I took a photo of the sunset.
5. There was heavy traffic this morning.

D. Freer Practice — Write Your Own Sentences (2 tasks)

1. Write a sentence using 'make' correctly with a noun from the table above.

2. Write a sentence using 'do' correctly with a noun from the table above.

Show Answers (D)

Model answers will vary. Examples:
1. "We need to make a decision soon."
2. "Can you do me a favour?"

9. Mini Quiz

10. Exam Focus — Cambridge, IELTS, SELT

Exam	How Collocations Are Tested	Sample Question
Cambridge B1 Preliminary / B2 First	Collocation gap-fills, especially do/make, appear regularly in Use of English.	"She ___ a huge effort to help." (made)
Cambridge C1 Advanced	More sophisticated adverb+adjective and verb+preposition collocations.	"We are ___ concerned about the delay." (deeply)
IELTS Writing & Speaking	Natural collocation use is one of the strongest markers of a genuinely wide vocabulary range, directly assessed in both sections.	Using "make a significant contribution" instead of the more literal "do a big help."
Trinity GESE/ISE (SELT)	Natural, idiomatic phrasing throughout everyday conversation.	Using "have a chat," "take a break" and "make plans" naturally.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

A pair or group of words that native speakers naturally use together, such as 'make a decision' or 'heavy rain,' based on convention rather than grammar rules.

Because there's no logical rule to apply, both 'do a mistake' and 'make a mistake' are grammatically valid sentences, but only one is the natural, correct collocation.

Learn whole phrases together rather than single words in isolation, so 'make a decision' is memorised as one unit, not 'make' and 'decision' separately.

'Do' is generally used for general activities, work and duties (do homework, do a favour); 'make' is generally used for creating things and decisions (make a cake, make a decision).

'Strong coffee' is the natural collocation; 'powerful' doesn't collocate with coffee in standard English.

Yes — natural, idiomatic phrasing throughout conversation is one of the clearest markers of fluency assessed in speaking tests.

📅 Ready to Master Collocations — and Sound Genuinely Natural?

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