Collocations: The Words That Go Together
⏱ 5 Minutes · B1/B2
📖 From Experience
When I was working as a barista, I noticed that English speakers didn’t say ‘do a coffee’ — they said ‘make a coffee’. Not ‘take a decision’ but ‘make a decision’. Not ‘do progress’ but ‘make progress’. These fixed pairings are collocations, and knowing them is what makes you sound natural, not textbook.
📚 Common Collocation Patterns
| Verb | Common Collocations |
|---|---|
| make | a mistake, a decision, progress, an offer, a phone call, a difference, money |
| do | homework, business, damage, research, a favour, the washing up, your best |
| take | a photo, a break, a risk, responsibility, an exam, a seat, part in |
| have | a meeting, a conversation, an argument, a break, difficulty, fun, a go |
✅ Examples
- I made a terrible mistake on my first shift. (not ‘did a mistake’)
- Can I take a photo of the menu? (not ‘make a photo’)
- We had a long conversation about it. (not ‘made a conversation’)
✏️ Your Turn
Choose the correct verb — make, do, take, or have:
- She ___ a photo of the sunset from the hotel window.
- Don’t ___ that mistake again — check first.
- I need to ___ some research before deciding.
- Can we ___ a break? I’ve been on my feet for six hours.
💡 Check Answers
- took (take a photo)
- make (make a mistake)
- do (do research)
- have (have a break)
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