🎯 Lesson Goal
In this lesson, you will learn common English collocations.
A collocation is a natural combination of words. Native speakers often use these words together.
💡 Simple definition: A collocation is a word partnership. Some words naturally “go together.”
✅ Natural: I need to make a decision.
❌ Common mistake: I need to do a decision.
📌 Why Collocations Matter
- They help you avoid direct translation mistakes.
- They make your speaking sound more natural.
- They improve writing for work, school, and exams.
- They help you remember vocabulary as useful phrases.
⚠️ Study tip: Do not learn only single words. Learn useful word combinations.
Instead of only learning decision, learn make a decision.
Instead of only learning decision, learn make a decision.
📊 Natural vs. Unnatural English
| Natural English | Unnatural English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ make a decision | ❌ do a decision | decide something |
| ✅ do homework | ❌ make homework | complete school work |
| ✅ take a shower | ❌ make a shower | bathe quickly |
| ✅ heavy rain | ❌ strong rain | a lot of rain |
| ✅ heavy traffic | ❌ strong traffic | a lot of traffic |
| ✅ pay attention | ❌ put attention | focus |
🧩 Common Types of Collocations
Verb + Noun
- make a decision
- do homework
- take a break
- give advice
Adjective + Noun
- heavy rain
- strong coffee
- close friend
- serious problem
Verb + Preposition
- listen to music
- wait for someone
- depend on someone
- apply for a job
Noun + Noun
- coffee shop
- bus stop
- customer service
- movie theater
🛠️ Make vs. Do
English often uses make when you create, produce, cause, or choose something. English often uses do for tasks, work, routines, and responsibilities.
| Verb | Common Collocations | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make | make a decision, make a mistake, make progress, make friends, make money, make the bed | She is making progress in English. |
| do | do homework, do the dishes, do laundry, do research, do your best, do someone a favor | Please do your best. |
⚠️ Spanish connection: Spanish uses hacer for both make and do. English separates them!
🌧️ Adjective + Noun Rules
Adjectives and nouns pair together in specific ways. If you use the wrong adjective, people will usually understand you, but it will sound unnatural.
| Natural English | Not Usually | Example |
|---|---|---|
| heavy rain | strong rain | There was heavy rain last night. |
| heavy traffic | strong traffic | There is heavy traffic downtown. |
| strong coffee | powerful coffee | I like strong coffee. |
| serious problem | grave problem | We have a serious problem. |
🌎 Common Transfer Problems
Pay close attention to these phrases. These are the most common mistakes caused by directly translating from Spanish to English.
| Spanish idea | Common English mistake | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| ES: hacer una decisión | do a decision | make a decision |
| ES: hacer tarea | make homework | do homework |
| ES: tomar una ducha | make a shower | take a shower |
| ES: poner atención | put attention | pay attention |
| ES: escuchar música | listen music | listen to music |
| ES: depender de | depend of | depend on |
📚 Collocation Bank
Use this section as a reference. You do not need to memorize everything at once. Choose a few collocations and use them in real sentences.
💡 Study tip: Learn collocations as complete chunks: make a decision, not only decision.
1. Make vs. Do
Make (Create / Choose)
- make a decision
- make a mistake
- make an effort
- make money
- make friends
- make the bed
- make a phone call
- make progress
Do (Tasks / Work)
- do homework
- do the dishes
- do the laundry
- do chores
- do business
- do research
- do your best
- do someone a favor
2. Take, Have, Get, Give
Take
- take a shower
- take a break
- take a photo
- take notes
- take responsibility
- take time
Have
- have breakfast/lunch
- have a conversation
- have a meeting
- have trouble
- have fun
- have a headache
Get
- get a job
- get permission
- get help
- get better (improve)
- get ready
- get married
Give
- give advice
- give an answer
- give a presentation
- give permission
- give someone a call
- give someone a hand
3. Adjective + Noun
- heavy rain
- heavy traffic
- strong coffee
- strong smell
- high price
- low quality
- quick question
- close friend
- serious problem
- major issue
- common mistake
- great opportunity
4. Verb + Preposition & Noun + Noun
Verb + Preposition
- listen to music
- wait for someone
- depend on the weather
- apply for a job
- apologize for the mistake
- agree with someone
Noun + Noun
- coffee shop
- bus stop
- customer service
- movie theater
- credit card
- water bottle
✏️ Practice A — Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word.
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✅ Practice B — Choose the Correct Verb
Choose the best verb for each collocation.
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🔍 Practice C — Error Correction
Rewrite each sentence correctly.
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👂 Practice D — Natural or Unnatural?
Decide if the sentence sounds natural in English.
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🗣️ Speaking Practice
Answer these questions with a partner or teacher. Try to use the collocation in your answer.
1. When was the last time you had to make a difficult decision?
2. Do you usually make your bed in the morning?
3. What do you do when there is heavy traffic?
4. Do you prefer strong coffee or weak coffee?
5. Who usually gives you good advice?
6. What helps you make progress in English?
7. When do you usually take a break?
8. Is it easy for you to make friends?
9. What do you do when you have trouble understanding English?
10. Do you listen to music while you study?
📝 Writing Practice
Write original sentences. Use the collocation in each prompt.
🧠 Teacher Notes
Teaching Priorities
- Start with make vs. do. This is very useful for Spanish-speaking students.
- Teach collocations as chunks, not isolated vocabulary.
- Use contrastive examples: strong rain vs. heavy rain.
- Highlight the missing/added prepositions (e.g., listen to music vs escuchar música).
- Ask students to personalize collocations with real sentences.
💡 Suggested routine:
1. Notice the collocation.
2. Compare it with Spanish.
3. Practice it in a controlled exercise.
4. Use it in a personal sentence.
5. Use it in conversation.
1. Notice the collocation.
2. Compare it with Spanish.
3. Practice it in a controlled exercise.
4. Use it in a personal sentence.
5. Use it in conversation.
🌎 Spanish-Speaking Learner Notes
| Problem | Why it happens | Teaching focus |
|---|---|---|
| make / do confusion | Spanish uses hacer for both. | Teach fixed phrases: make a decision, do homework. |
| strong rain / strong traffic | Direct translation from lluvia fuerte or tráfico fuerte. | Teach heavy rain and heavy traffic. |
| put attention | Direct translation from poner atención. | Teach pay attention. |
| listen music | Spanish does not use an equivalent of to in the same way. | Teach listen to music as a complete chunk. |
| depend of | Direct translation from depender de. | Teach depend on. |
➕ Suggested Extension Activities
1. Collocation Hunt
Students read a short article or watch a short video and collect 10 natural word combinations.
2. Personal Collocation Notebook
Students create three columns: Collocation, Spanish meaning, My sentence.
3. Translation Repair
Give students literal translations from Spanish and ask them to repair the English.
4. Conversation Challenge
Students must use 5 target collocations in a 3-minute conversation.