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Collocations
Vocabulary
1. Collocations
A collocation is a group of two or more words that have a certain meaning when they go together. They must be learnt by heart, as there is no basic rule on how to formulate them.
We have holidays in winter.
I'm sleeping. Please, don't make a noise!
2. The most common collocations
Different combinations of words can form a collocation: verb and noun, adjective and noun, noun and verb, among others.
HAVE
Have a shower
To wash your body in a shower.
Have a drink
To go to a place and drink something, usually alcohol.
Have a problem
To have an issue that needs to be solved.
Have breakfast
To eat your morning meal.
Have a break
To stop doing something for a short time in order to rest or relax.
Have fun
To enjoy yourself.
Have a look
To look at something quickly, usually in order to check something.
Have a party
To organize a party.
Have a rest
To spend a short period of time relaxing or sleeping.
Have an argument
To have a verbal fight with someone because you disagree on something.
Have feelings for someone
To be in love with someone.
Have a go
To make an attempt to do something.
Have a haircut
To go to the hairdresser’s because your hair needs cutting.
Have a nap
To sleep for a short time, usually during the day.
Have a word with someone
To talk to someone because you want to tell them something.
MAKE
Make a noise
To produce a loud and usually unpleasant sound.
Make friends
To become friends with someone.
Make a decision
To decide about something.
Make a phone call
To speak to someone on the phone.
Make plans
To organise activities to be done at certain time or in certain order.
Make an appointment
To arrange a day to meet someone for a particular purpose.
Make room
To create space by moving other things.
Make sense
To be clear and easy to understand.
Make a list
To write a set of things, usually one below the other.
DO
Do the housework
To do different tasks in the house to keep it clean and tidy.
Do your homework
To do the tasks your teacher gives you out of school.
Do your best
To try as hard as you can to do something.
Do the shopping
To go to a shop and buy food or things you need regularly.
Do someone a favour
To do something because you want to help someone.
Do your hair
To arrange your hair so that it looks nice.
BREAK
Break a record
To overcome the best achievement so far in a particular activity.
Break someone's heart
To upset someone because you tell them you don’t love them any more.
Break the rules
To disobey a rule.
PAY
SAVE
Pay attention
To listen or watch carefully.
Pay in cash / Pay by credit card
To give money for what you have bought, either with notes and coins or by using a credit card.
SAVE
Save money
To keep money aside in order to be used in the future.
GO
Go abroad
To travel to foreign country.
Go bald
To lose your hair.
Go online
To connect to the internet.
COME
APPLY
Come late
To arrive after the expected or correct time.
Come on time
To arrive at the expected or correct time.
APPLY
Apply for a job
To make a formal request to get a job.
CATCH
BLOW
Catch a cold
To get an illness that usually blocks your nose and makes you cough.
Catch the bus / train
To get on a public transport vehicle.
BLOW
Blow your nose
To clean your nose by forcing air through it into a handkerchief or tissue.
TAKE
Take a taxi
To use a taxi as a means of transport.
Take a seat
To sit down.
Take notes
To write down information one hears in order to remember it later.
Take someone's temperature
To measure how hot your body is because of an illness.
Take time
o need a certain amount of time for something to happen or to do something.
Take a chance
To do something even though it might be risky.
GET
Get a job
To be employed by a company or employer to work.
Get angry
To become annoyed because of an unfair or unacceptable situation.
Get lost
To not know where you are or how to get to the place you want to go.
Get ready
To prepare.
Get into trouble
To become involved in an unpleasant, difficult or dangerous situation.
Get started
To start doing something.
KEEP
Keep calm
To remain quiet and relaxed.
Keep in touch
To continue to write or speak to someone you don’t see very often.
Keep a secret
To not tell anyone a piece of information because you don’t want them to know about it.
Keep an eye on
To watch somebody or something to make sure everything is all right.
Keep a diary
To write regularly in your diary.
Keep fit
To do exercise in order to continue being strong and healthy.
CHANGE
Change your mind
To decide or think in a different way than you did before.
GIVE
Give someone a lift
To take someone somewhere in your vehicle.
HOLD
Hold an election
To put ballot boxes for people to vote and elect their representatives
REACH
Reach an agreement
To finally agree on something after some discussion or negotiation.
RUN
Run a business
To manage or be in charge of a company, shop…
SET
Set an alarm / alarm clock
To register a time on an alarm clock or other device so that it starts or finishes working when you want.
TELL
Tell a lie
To deliberately say something that is not true.
TRY
Try hard
To make a lot of effort to do or achieve something.
MISS
Miss the bus / train...
Not to get on a means of transport because you are late.
HEAVY
STRONG
Heavy traffic
A lot of cars, usually moving slowly.
Heavy rain
Mucha lluvia / lluvia intensa
STRONG
Strong coffee
Coffee with a very intense and bitter flavour.
SERIOUS
Serious illness
An illness that is bad or dangerous enough to be worried about.
FULL
Full instructions
Very detailed instructions.
CLOSE
Close friend
A friend you like or love very much.
Remember!
HAVE
Have a shower
Have a drink
Have a problem
Have breakfast
Have a break
Have fun
Have a look
Have a party
Have a rest
Have an argument
Have feelings for someone
Have a go
Have a haircut
Have a nap
Have a word with someone
MAKE
Make a noise
Make friends
Make a decision
Make a phone call
Make plans
Make an appointment
Make room
Make sense
Make a list
DO
Do the housework
Do your homework
Do your best
Do the shopping
Do someone a favour
Do your hair
BREAK
Break a record
Break someone's heart
Break the rules
PAY
SAVE
Pay attention
Pay in cash / Pay by credit card
SAVE
Save money
GO
Go abroad
Go bald
Go online
COME
APPLY
Come late
Come on time
APPLY
Apply for a job
CATCH
BLOW
Catch a cold
Catch the bus / train
BLOW
Blow your nose
TAKE
Take a taxi
Take a seat
Take notes
Take someone's temperature
Take time
Take a chance
GET
Get a job
Get angry
Get lost
Get ready
Get into trouble
Get started
KEEP
Keep calm
Keep in touch
Keep a secret
Keep an eye on
Keep a diary
Keep fit
CHANGE
Change your mind
GIVE
Give someone a lift
HOLD
Hold an election
REACH
Reach an agreement
RUN
Run a business
SET
Set an alarm / alarm clock
TELL
Tell a lie
TRY
Try hard
MISS
Miss the bus / train...
HEAVY
STRONG
Heavy traffic
Heavy rain
STRONG
Strong coffee
SERIOUS
Serious illness
FULL
Full instructions
CLOSE
Close friend