In one line
Collocations are word combinations that native speakers naturally use together, such as 'make a decision' and 'heavy rain'; using another word often sounds wrong even if the meaning is clear.
Explained simply
Nobody says 'powerful tea' or 'strong computer', though both make sense. We say 'strong tea' and 'powerful computer'. Some words are simply 'friends' that go out together. Learning these pairs makes your English sound natural.
Technically, a collocation is a habitual co-occurrence of words, fixed by usage rather than grammar rules. Common types are verb + noun ('take a risk'), adjective + noun ('heavy traffic'), adverb + adjective ('highly effective'), noun + noun ('safety measures'), verb + preposition ('depend on').
How it works
| Type | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|
| make + noun | make a decision, make progress, make a mistake | do a decision, do a mistake |
| do + noun | do homework, do research, do business | make homework |
| take + noun | take a risk, take a break, take an exam | give an exam (common Indian usage; standard: take/write an exam) |
| pay + noun | pay attention, pay a visit | give attention (in this sense) |
| adjective + noun | heavy rain, strong coffee, high temperature | big rain, powerful coffee, tall temperature |
| adverb + adjective | highly unlikely, deeply concerned, fully aware | strongly unlikely |
- Notice word partners while reading.
- Use a collocation dictionary or corpus examples when unsure.
- Learn words in chunks, not alone.
Quick example
Correct the sentence: 'Our team did a big mistake and took a quick decision without giving attention to the data.' Improved: 'Our team made a serious mistake and made a hasty decision without paying attention to the data.' ('Take a decision' is accepted in British usage, but 'make a decision' is most widely used.)
Common mistakes
- Translating directly from Hindi or Marathi ('give an exam', 'do a mistake').
- Assuming synonyms collocate equally: 'strong rain' is wrong even though strong and heavy are similar.
- Learning single words instead of word partners.
How MU asks it
Asked as MCQs ('Choose the correct collocation') or 'Fill in with make/do/take' items, often 1 mark each, and in error-correction sentences. Learn the make/do/take/pay sets and common adjective-noun pairs; give the full phrase in answers.