Common Collocations In English
Stop sounding “textbook.” Start sounding natural—one word-pair at a time.
A collocation is a pair (or small group) of words that native speakers commonly use together—like pay attention or make a decision. You can say other combinations… but they may sound odd.
Learn these common collocations and your English will instantly sound smoother, more confident, and less like a robot reading a dictionary.
Yak Tip: Don’t memorize single words. Memorize word buddies. Your brain loves ready-made chunks.
Quick “Sound Natural” Collocation Cards
These eight show up everywhere in real American English.
Make A Decision
Meaning: choose something.
Example: I need to make a decision by Friday.
Pay Attention
Meaning: focus your mind.
Example: Please pay attention to the safety instructions.
Take A Break
Meaning: rest for a short time.
Example: Let’s take a break and come back in ten minutes.
Run Errands
Meaning: do short tasks outside (shopping, bank, post office).
Example: I have to run errands after work.
Meet A Deadline
Meaning: finish on time.
Example: We have to meet the deadline this week.
Keep In Touch
Meaning: stay connected (messages/calls).
Example: Let’s keep in touch after you move.
Look Forward To
Meaning: feel excited about something in the future.
Example: I’m looking forward to the weekend.
Heavy Traffic
Meaning: many cars; slow roads.
Example: I’m late—there’s heavy traffic.
Make Sense
Meaning: be logical; be understandable.
Example: That rule doesn’t make sense to me.
Useful Phrases With Real-Life Sentences
Steal these sentences. Change the details. Use them today.
- Make an effort — I’m trying to make an effort to sleep earlier.
- Make progress — We’re finally making progress on the project.
- Make a mistake — Don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes.
- Do the dishes — I’ll do the dishes if you cook.
- Do your best — Just do your best on the interview.
- Take notes — I always take notes during meetings.
- Take responsibility — He refused to take responsibility for the problem.
- Get ready — Give me five minutes. I’m getting ready.
- Get permission — You need to get permission before you park there.
- Have a chance — Do you have a chance to talk today?
- Have a conversation — We need to have a conversation about the budget.
- Give someone a call — I’ll give you a call after lunch.
- Set an alarm — I set an alarm so I won’t oversleep.
- Keep an eye on — Can you keep an eye on my bag?
Mini Challenge: Pick 3 collocations above and write 3 new sentences about your life. Real life = remembered faster.
Common Confusions And Quick Fixes
Make Vs. Do (The Most Famous Collocation Drama)
Make is for creating/producing/deciding: make a decision, make progress, make money, make a mistake.
Do is for tasks/activities: do homework, do the dishes, do business, do research.
Take A Shower Or Have A Shower?
In American English, take a shower is more common. In British English, you’ll often hear have a shower. Both are understandable.
Heavy Or Strong? (Why “Strong Rain” Sounds Weird)
English likes specific pairings: heavy rain and heavy traffic, but strong coffee (not “heavy coffee”). Same idea: the “correct” partner word is just what people usually say.
Tables Of Common Collocations
Each collocation includes a meaning and three short example sentences. Read them out loud—your mouth needs practice, too.
Everyday Actions
| Vocabulary | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| do the laundry | wash clothes | I need to do the laundry tonight. | She does the laundry on Sundays. | We did the laundry before the trip. |
| do the dishes | wash plates and cups | I’ll do the dishes after dinner. | He hates doing the dishes. | Do the dishes before you relax. |
| take a break | rest briefly | Let’s take a break. | I took a break from social media. | Take a break if you’re tired. |
| take a seat | sit down | Please take a seat. | Take a seat near the window. | He took a seat and waited. |
| take a shower | wash your body | I’m going to take a shower. | She takes a shower every morning. | Take a shower after the gym. |
| get dressed | put on clothes | I need to get dressed fast. | Kids get dressed for school. | He got dressed in a hurry. |
| get ready | prepare | Get ready—we’re leaving. | I’m getting ready for work. | They got ready for the party. |
| run errands | do small tasks outside | I have to run errands today. | She ran errands after lunch. | We’re running errands downtown. |
| save time | use less time | This shortcut saves time. | Meal prep saves time. | We saved time by leaving early. |
| waste time | use time badly | Don’t waste time arguing. | I wasted time scrolling. | They waste time in meetings. |
| spend time | use time doing something | I like to spend time outside. | We spent time with family. | He spends time practicing. |
| keep going | continue | Keep going—you’re close. | She kept going despite stress. | We’ll keep going tomorrow. |
Work And School
| Vocabulary | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| meet a deadline | finish on time | We must meet the deadline. | She met the deadline early. | They missed the deadline last week. |
| hold a meeting | have an official meeting | We’ll hold a meeting at 2. | They held a meeting online. | Let’s hold a meeting Monday. |
| attend a meeting | go to a meeting | I can’t attend the meeting. | He attended the meeting late. | Will you attend tomorrow? |
| take notes | write key points | Please take notes. | I took notes during class. | She takes notes on her phone. |
| make progress | move forward | We’re making progress. | He made progress quickly. | Did you make any progress? |
| make an effort | try hard | Make an effort to listen. | She made an effort to be polite. | I’m making an effort to study. |
| do homework | complete school tasks | I have to do homework. | He does homework after dinner. | She forgot to do homework. |
| do research | study to find information | We need to do research first. | She did research for her paper. | Do research before you buy. |
| give a presentation | present to a group | I have to give a presentation. | He gave a presentation yesterday. | She’s giving a presentation Friday. |
| apply for a job | send an application | I’m going to apply for a job. | She applied for three jobs. | Apply for the role online. |
| get promoted | move to a higher position | He wants to get promoted. | She got promoted last year. | They got promoted together. |
| work overtime | work extra hours | I have to work overtime. | He worked overtime all week. | We’re working overtime tonight. |
Talking And Relationships
| Vocabulary | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| have a conversation | talk seriously or normally | We need to have a conversation. | They had a long conversation. | Let’s have a quick conversation. |
| ask a question | request information | Can I ask a question? | She asked a question in class. | Ask a question anytime. |
| give advice | suggest what to do | He gave me advice. | Don’t give advice unless asked. | She gives great advice. |
| give someone a call | phone someone | Give me a call later. | I gave her a call at noon. | He’ll give you a call soon. |
| pay attention | focus | Pay attention to the signs. | He didn’t pay attention. | Please pay attention here. |
| pay a compliment | say something nice | He paid her a compliment. | Pay a compliment sincerely. | She paid me a compliment. |
| keep in touch | stay connected | Let’s keep in touch. | We kept in touch for years. | They keep in touch weekly. |
| keep a promise | do what you said | He kept his promise. | I always keep my promises. | She couldn’t keep the promise. |
| make plans | arrange future activities | Let’s make plans for Saturday. | We made plans last night. | Stop making plans so late! |
| change your mind | decide differently | I changed my mind. | Don’t change your mind now. | She changed her mind again. |
Travel And Scheduling
| Vocabulary | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| make a reservation | book a table/room | I made a reservation for two. | Make a reservation in advance. | We forgot to make a reservation. |
| book a flight | buy a plane ticket | I booked a flight to Chicago. | Book a flight early to save money. | She booked her flight online. |
| catch a bus | get on a bus in time | I barely caught the bus. | He catches the bus at 8. | We missed the bus again. |
| miss a flight | arrive too late | Don’t miss your flight. | She missed a flight once. | We nearly missed the flight. |
| set an alarm | schedule a wake-up alert | Set an alarm for 6. | I set an alarm on my phone. | He forgot to set an alarm. |
| have an appointment | scheduled meeting with a doctor, etc. | I have an appointment at 3. | She made an appointment online. | He missed his appointment. |
| run late | be behind schedule | I’m running late. | Sorry—we ran late. | Trains run late sometimes. |
| put off a meeting | delay to later | We put off the meeting. | Let’s put it off until Friday. | They put off the meeting again. |
| call off a meeting | cancel | They called off the meeting. | We had to call it off. | Call off the meeting if needed. |
| take advantage of | use a good opportunity | Take advantage of the sale. | We took advantage of the weather. | She took advantage of free time. |
Adjective + Noun Collocations (Super Common)
| Vocabulary | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| heavy traffic | many cars; slow roads | There’s heavy traffic today. | Heavy traffic made me late. | Avoid heavy traffic if you can. |
| heavy rain | very strong rain | We got heavy rain last night. | Heavy rain can cause flooding. | It’s heavy rain, not “strong rain.” |
| strong coffee | coffee with a lot of flavor/caffeine | I need strong coffee. | He drinks strong coffee daily. | This coffee is too strong. |
| big decision | important choice | This is a big decision. | She made a big decision. | Don’t rush a big decision. |
| major problem | serious issue | We have a major problem. | That’s a major problem for us. | They fixed the major problem. |
| deep sleep | very restful sleep | I finally got deep sleep. | Babies need deep sleep. | He woke up from deep sleep. |
| quick shower | short shower | I’ll take a quick shower. | She took a quick shower. | Give me a quick shower break. |
| free time | time with no duties | I have free time tonight. | Use your free time wisely. | He has little free time. |
| high chance | likely | There’s a high chance of delays. | High chance we’ll be late. | It’s a high chance, honestly. |
| low risk | not very dangerous | This is a low-risk choice. | Low risk, high reward. | We want low risk. |
Practice: Build Your Collocation Reflex
Choose the natural collocation. (Yes, there’s a “wrong” one. English is rude like that.)
- I need to ( make / do ) a decision today.
- Please ( pay / give ) attention.
- Let’s ( take / do ) a break.
- I have to ( run / make ) errands.
- We must ( meet / catch ) the deadline.
- There’s ( heavy / strong ) traffic.
- Let’s ( keep / hold ) in touch.
- Do you ( look / wait ) forward to the trip?
Answer Key: 1 make • 2 pay • 3 take • 4 run • 5 meet • 6 heavy • 7 keep • 8 look
Optional Variants (Polite, Casual, And Close Cousins)
| Goal | Common Collocation | Also Natural | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request focus | pay attention | listen closely / focus | “Pay attention” can sound firm (teacher vibe). |
| Rest | take a break | take five / take a quick break | “Take five” is casual. |
| Call someone | give me a call | call me / ring me | “Ring me” is more common in British English. |
| Cancel plans | call it off | cancel | “Call it off” is conversational. |
| Delay | put it off | postpone | “Postpone” is more formal. |
Final Yak: If you learn one collocation a day, that’s 365 “sound natural” upgrades a year. Tiny habit. Huge glow-up.
