Lesson 1: What Are Collocations?

Introduction: We’ll start by defining what collocations are and why they are the secret to sounding like a native speaker. We’ll explore how they differ from idioms and free word combinations.

Examples:

• Correct: make a mistake
• Incorrect: do a mistake
• Correct: heavy rain
• Incorrect: strong rain

The instructions were written incorrectly and this is why they made mistakes. (verb + noun collocation)

 The weather was really bad yesterday, the heavy rain caused a lot of flooding. (adjective + noun collocations)

 Changing diets and trends have meant that fast food has seen massive growth over the last 20 years. (adjective + noun collocations)

 It is difficult to start the day without a cup of strong coffee, it gives me the jolt I need to take on the day. (adjective + noun collocations)