Collocations are combinations of words that are commonly used together in English. They sound “right” to native speakers and are often instinctive rather than logical.
A simple way to think about it:
- We say “fast food” not “quick food”
- “Do homework” not “make homework”
Using the wrong combination can make your English sound awkward or unclear—even if your grammar is perfect.
List of Common Collocations in English (With Examples)
We have compiled a comprehensive list of 350 common collocations in English, organized by words categories. Each collocation includes a short example sentence for clarity. These combinations are frequently used in everyday speech and writing, making them essential for fluency. After you have practice enough these collocations, then you can learn and practice our advance English collocations list.
1. Collocations with Make
These are often used to describe actions, decisions, and plans.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| make a decision | She had to make a decision quickly. |
| make a mistake | Don’t worry if you make a mistake. |
| make a difference | You can make a difference in the world. |
| make money | He wants to make money fast. |
| make a noise | The baby started to make a noise. |
| make a phone call | I need to make a phone call. |
| make an effort | He should make an effort to help. |
| make a mess | The kids made a mess in the kitchen. |
| make a plan | Let’s make a plan for the trip. |
| make an appointment | I’ll make an appointment with the doctor. |
| make friends | It’s easy to make friends here. |
| make progress | She’s making progress in math. |
| make an excuse | Don’t make an excuse, just apologize. |
| make a suggestion | May I make a suggestion? |
| make a promise | He made a promise to return. |
| make a point | She made a good point during the meeting. |
| make a deal | Let’s make a deal on the price. |
| make a list | I’ll make a list of groceries. |
| make a complaint | I want to make a complaint. |
| make time | Try to make time for your family. |
2. Collocations with Do
“Do” is used for work, tasks, and non-specific activities.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| do homework | I have to do my homework now. |
| do the dishes | Can you do the dishes tonight? |
| do business | They do business internationally. |
| do a favor | Could you do me a favor? |
| do the laundry | I need to do the laundry this weekend. |
| do your best | Just do your best, that’s enough. |
| do research | We need to do more research. |
| do harm | That lie did a lot of harm. |
| do well | He did well on the exam. |
| do badly | She did badly in math last year. |
| do the cleaning | I’ll do the cleaning later. |
| do your hair | She did her hair nicely. |
| do a job | He did a good job on the project. |
| do exercise | It’s important to do regular exercise. |
| do housework | I hate doing housework. |
| do a course | She’s doing a course in accounting. |
| do time | He did time for the crime. |
| do damage | The storm did a lot of damage. |
| do your nails | She did her nails yesterday. |
| do your makeup | I need time to do my makeup. |
3. Collocations with Have
“Have” is used with experiences, relationships, and possessions.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| have a good time | We had a good time at the party. |
| have breakfast | I had breakfast at 7 a.m. |
| have lunch | Let’s have lunch together. |
| have dinner | They always have dinner late. |
| have a break | Let’s have a break after this session. |
| have a nap | I need to have a nap. |
| have a dream | He had a strange dream last night. |
| have a look | Can I have a look at that? |
| have a chat | Let’s have a chat later. |
| have a drink | He went out to have a drink. |
| have a baby | They’re going to have a baby soon. |
| have a bath | I’m going to have a bath now. |
| have a shower | I had a shower this morning. |
| have fun | Kids just want to have fun. |
| have an idea | I have an idea for a solution. |
| have a party | We’re having a party tonight. |
| have an accident | She had an accident last week. |
| have a problem | Do you have a problem with that? |
| have a headache | I have a headache, so I’ll rest. |
| have patience | Please have patience with the kids. |
4. Collocations with Take
“Take” is used in expressions about time, effort, or action.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| take a break | Let’s take a break now. |
| take a seat | Please take a seat. |
| take a chance | She took a chance on a new career. |
| take a photo | I’ll take a photo of the sunset. |
| take a risk | You have to take risks to grow. |
| take notes | Don’t forget to take notes. |
| take a walk | Let’s take a walk around the park. |
| take care | Take care of yourself. |
| take a bath | I need to take a bath. |
| take a shower | He takes a shower every morning. |
| take a nap | I like to take a nap in the afternoon. |
| take medicine | Don’t forget to take your medicine. |
| take a decision | It’s time to take a decision. |
| take advantage | He took advantage of the opportunity. |
| take part | Will you take part in the competition? |
| take responsibility | She took responsibility for the error. |
| take time | It will take time to recover. |
| take action | It’s time to take action. |
| take control | He needs to take control of his life. |
| take a look | Let’s take a look at the results. |
5. Collocations with Get
“Get” is often used for receiving, becoming, or arriving.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| get married | They’re going to get married next year. |
| get ready | I need to get ready for work. |
| get lost | Don’t get lost in the forest! |
| get angry | Try not to get angry so quickly. |
| get better | I hope you get better soon. |
| get worse | The situation is getting worse. |
| get a job | He finally got a job at the bank. |
| get a promotion | She got a promotion last month. |
| get home | I’ll get home around 6 p.m. |
| get permission | Did you get permission to leave? |
| get started | Let’s get started on the project. |
| get dressed | Hurry up and get dressed. |
| get tired | I get tired after work. |
| get upset | He got upset when he lost. |
| get cold | It’s getting cold outside. |
| get sick | I got sick after eating that. |
| get in touch | I’ll get in touch with her later. |
| get on someone’s nerves | Her singing gets on my nerves. |
| get involved | You should get involved in community work. |
| get a ticket | I got a ticket for speeding. |
6. Collocations with Go
“Go” is used with movement, actions, and activities.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| go home | I want to go home now. |
| go to school | The kids go to school every weekday. |
| go shopping | Let’s go shopping this weekend. |
| go swimming | Do you want to go swimming today? |
| go crazy | I’ll go crazy if this continues! |
| go wrong | Something went wrong with the engine. |
| go abroad | We plan to go abroad next summer. |
| go to bed | I usually go to bed at 10 p.m. |
| go for a walk | Let’s go for a walk after dinner. |
| go out | They love to go out on Fridays. |
| go bankrupt | The company went bankrupt in 2020. |
| go blind | He went blind after the accident. |
| go deaf | She’s slowly going deaf. |
| go bad | The milk went bad quickly. |
| go missing | My phone went missing yesterday. |
| go mad | He went mad with jealousy. |
| go hiking | We went hiking in the hills. |
| go dancing | I love to go dancing on weekends. |
| go viral | That video went viral overnight. |
| go through | She went through a lot last year. |
7. Collocations with Break
“Break” is commonly used for interruptions, damage, or emotional moments.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| break a leg | Go out there and break a leg! (Good luck!) |
| break the law | He was arrested for breaking the law. |
| break the rules | Don’t break the rules at school. |
| break a promise | Never break a promise. |
| break the news | She broke the news gently to her mom. |
| break a record | He broke the world record in swimming. |
| break your heart | She broke his heart when she left. |
| break a habit | I’m trying to break the smoking habit. |
| break the silence | He finally broke the silence with a joke. |
| break even | We didn’t profit but at least we broke even. |
| break the ice | A joke helped break the ice at the meeting. |
| break free | The dog broke free from its leash. |
| break into | Someone broke into the store last night. |
| break down | My car broke down on the highway. |
| break out | A fire broke out in the factory. |
| break up | They broke up after two years. |
| break off | She broke off the engagement. |
| break away | He broke away from the group. |
| break the bank | That vacation broke the bank. |
| break the tension | Humor can break the tension in tough moments. |
8. Collocations with Catch
“Catch” implies capturing something physically or metaphorically.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| catch a cold | I caught a cold last weekend. |
| catch a bus | Hurry or we’ll miss the bus! |
| catch a train | I need to catch the 5:30 train. |
| catch a plane | He caught a plane to Boston. |
| catch someone’s eye | That painting caught my eye. |
| catch a thief | Police caught the thief last night. |
| catch your breath | Give me a second to catch my breath. |
| catch a glimpse | I caught a glimpse of her in the crowd. |
| catch a fish | We caught three fish today. |
| catch fire | The building caught fire instantly. |
| catch someone red-handed | They were caught red-handed stealing. |
| catch the flu | I caught the flu during the trip. |
| catch up | Let’s catch up soon! |
| catch a break | When will I catch a break? |
| catch someone off guard | He caught me off guard with that question. |
| catch wind of | I caught wind of the rumor yesterday. |
| catch feelings | He’s starting to catch feelings for her. |
| catch someone’s attention | Her dress caught everyone’s attention. |
| catch sight of | I caught sight of him at the event. |
| catch the sunset | We just managed to catch the sunset. |
9. Collocations with Pay
“Pay” isn’t just about money. It also applies to attention, compliments, and consequences.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| pay attention | Please pay attention during class. |
| pay a visit | I’ll pay a visit to Grandma this weekend. |
| pay the bill | Can you pay the bill this time? |
| pay your respects | They paid their respects at the funeral. |
| pay a fine | He had to pay a fine for parking illegally. |
| pay the price | You’ll pay the price for your actions. |
| pay interest | You must pay interest on the loan. |
| pay off a loan | I finally paid off my student loan. |
| pay for damages | The company paid for the damages caused. |
| pay someone a compliment | She paid him a compliment on his haircut. |
| pay the rent | Don’t forget to pay the rent by Friday. |
| pay in cash | I prefer to pay in cash. |
| pay in advance | Please pay in advance to reserve your seat. |
| pay taxes | We all have to pay taxes. |
| pay a debt | He worked hard to pay his debt. |
| pay the penalty | They’ll pay the penalty for breaking rules. |
| pay by card | Can I pay by card instead of cash? |
| pay dividends | Hard work always pays dividends. |
| pay close attention | Pay close attention to the instructions. |
| pay someone back | I’ll pay you back tomorrow. |
10. Collocations with Keep
“Keep” is often used to express control, possession, or continuity.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| keep a secret | Can you keep a secret? |
| keep in touch | Let’s keep in touch after graduation. |
| keep an eye on | Please keep an eye on the baby. |
| keep the change | You can keep the change. |
| keep a promise | She always keeps her promises. |
| keep your word | It’s important to keep your word. |
| keep quiet | Try to keep quiet during the movie. |
| keep going | No matter what, keep going. |
| keep calm | Keep calm and carry on. |
| keep fit | He exercises daily to keep fit. |
| keep in mind | Keep in mind what I told you. |
| keep a diary | She keeps a diary of her travels. |
| keep your distance | You should keep your distance from them. |
| keep control | Try to keep control of the situation. |
| keep a low profile | He decided to keep a low profile at work. |
| keep someone waiting | Don’t keep them waiting too long. |
| keep up the good work | Keep up the good work, team! |
| keep someone company | Stay and keep me company. |
| keep track | I can’t keep track of all these numbers. |
| keep your cool | Always keep your cool under pressure. |
11. Collocations with Save
“Save” is useful for money, time, and even lives.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| save money | I’m trying to save money for a new car. |
| save time | Using a dishwasher saves time. |
| save energy | Turn off lights to save energy. |
| save space | Digital files save space. |
| save a seat | Can you save me a seat? |
| save a life | The doctor saved her life. |
| save the planet | Let’s recycle to save the planet. |
| save your breath | Save your breath—he won’t listen. |
| save face | He lied to save face in front of his boss. |
| save someone’s job | Her quick thinking saved his job. |
| save a file | Don’t forget to save your file. |
| save a copy | I always save a copy of important documents. |
| save yourself | He ran to save himself from danger. |
| save up | I’m saving up for a vacation. |
| save someone from | They saved her from drowning. |
| save the date | Save the date—we’re getting married! |
| save for later | I’ll save it for later. |
| save data | This app saves data usage. |
| save changes | Click “yes” to save changes. |
| save someone’s reputation | She helped save his reputation. |
12. Collocations with Run
“Run” often suggests movement, operation, or management.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| run a business | She runs a small business from home. |
| run late | I’m running late—sorry! |
| run out of | We ran out of milk this morning. |
| run a race | He ran a 10K race last weekend. |
| run a campaign | They ran a campaign for clean water. |
| run a program | The school runs a summer program. |
| run tests | The doctor ran some tests. |
| run smoothly | Everything ran smoothly today. |
| run errands | I need to run a few errands. |
| run into | I ran into an old friend. |
| run a risk | You run a risk by doing that. |
| run for office | She’s running for office next year. |
| run dry | The river ran dry after months of drought. |
| run on fuel | The car runs on diesel. |
| run out the clock | The team ran out the clock to win. |
| run a fever | She’s running a high fever. |
| run down | I feel run down after all that work. |
| run across | I ran across this book yesterday. |
| run through | Let’s run through the plan once more. |
| run like clockwork | Their wedding ran like clockwork. |
13. Collocations with Give
“Give” works with emotions, physical objects, and abstract concepts.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| give advice | Can you give me some advice? |
| give a speech | He gave a powerful speech. |
| give a gift | They gave her a lovely gift. |
| give a hand | Could you give me a hand with this? |
| give someone a lift | I’ll give you a lift to the airport. |
| give a call | Give me a call when you arrive. |
| give someone a chance | Please give me a chance to explain. |
| give credit | Always give credit where it’s due. |
| give birth | She gave birth to twins. |
| give permission | He gave me permission to enter. |
| give an example | Let me give you an example. |
| give someone a hug | She gave me a big hug. |
| give up | Don’t give up—keep trying! |
| give in | I finally gave in to temptation. |
| give a warning | They gave a warning about the storm. |
| give someone a break | Give me a break, will you? |
| give a reason | Can you give a reason for being late? |
| give feedback | Please give honest feedback. |
| give someone a headache | This project gives me a headache. |
| give it a try | I’ll give it a try and see how it goes. |
14. Collocations with Come
“Come” often pairs with change, events, and movement—both literal and figurative.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| come prepared | Always come prepared to meetings. |
| come true | Her dreams finally came true. |
| come to a decision | We need to come to a decision soon. |
| come to an agreement | They came to an agreement after negotiations. |
| come close | He came close to winning the race. |
| come in handy | This tool will come in handy later. |
| come clean | It’s time to come clean about what happened. |
| come to terms | She finally came to terms with the loss. |
| come first | Family always comes first. |
| come to mind | His name comes to mind when I hear that song. |
| come to a stop | The car came to a stop suddenly. |
| come under pressure | The team came under pressure to deliver. |
| come naturally | Drawing comes naturally to her. |
| come to life | The story came to life with her voice. |
| come apart | The toy came apart after one use. |
| come to power | He came to power in 2020. |
| come into play | Several factors come into play here. |
| come by | Good advice is hard to come by. |
| come up with | She came up with a clever idea. |
| come forward | A witness came forward with evidence. |
| come across as | He comes across as confident. |
| come to a conclusion | We’ve come to a conclusion about the case. |
15. Collocations with Set
“Set” deals with placement, arrangement, and establishing something, either literally or figuratively.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| set a goal | She set a goal to run 5 miles. |
| set an alarm | Don’t forget to set your alarm. |
| set the table | Can you set the table for dinner? |
| set a record | He set a world record in swimming. |
| set an example | Parents should set a good example. |
| set fire to | They set fire to the building. |
| set the stage | The intro set the stage for the story. |
| set a deadline | We set a deadline for Friday. |
| set boundaries | You need to set boundaries in relationships. |
| set in motion | That moment set in motion a chain of events. |
| set the tone | Her smile set the tone for the evening. |
| set standards | Schools set standards for grading. |
| set a trap | They set a trap for the thief. |
| set a timer | I set a timer for 10 minutes. |
| set a precedent | The ruling set a legal precedent. |
| set prices | Retailers set prices based on demand. |
| set rules | Teachers set clear rules in class. |
| set a goalpost | They keep moving the goalposts. |
| set up a meeting | I’ll set up a meeting with the manager. |
| set your sights on | She set her sights on a new position. |
16. Collocations with Turn
“Turn” is a dynamic verb, often used for change, movement, or transformation—physically or emotionally.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| turn on the light | Please turn on the light—it’s dark. |
| turn off the TV | Could you turn off the TV? |
| turn around | She turned around and walked away. |
| turn back | We had to turn back because of the storm. |
| turn into | The caterpillar turned into a butterfly. |
| turn up the volume | Can you turn up the volume? |
| turn down an offer | He turned down the job offer. |
| turn a profit | The company turned a profit last quarter. |
| turn a corner | I feel like I’ve turned a corner in recovery. |
| turn red | His face turned red with embarrassment. |
| turn cold | Her hands turned cold after the hike. |
| turn against | They turned against their old allies. |
| turn to someone | I always turn to my mom for advice. |
| turn the page | It’s time to turn the page and move on. |
| turn in | I’m tired—gonna turn in for the night. |
| turn over | Turn over the document to read the rest. |
| turn up late | He always turns up late to meetings. |
| turn a blind eye | She turned a blind eye to the mistake. |
| turn out well | The event turned out well after all. |
| turn heads | Her outfit turned heads at the gala. |
| turn the tide | The new policy turned the tide of public opinion. |
17. Collocations with Hold
“Hold” often suggests possession, restraint, or continuation—physically, emotionally, or socially.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| hold hands | They were holding hands while walking. |
| hold a meeting | We’ll hold a meeting next Friday. |
| hold the line | Please hold the line—I’ll connect you. |
| hold a position | She holds a key position in the company. |
| hold your breath | Hold your breath before diving in. |
| hold someone responsible | He was held responsible for the mistake. |
| hold a grudge | Don’t hold a grudge—let it go. |
| hold a conversation | Can you hold a conversation in French? |
| hold a baby | Would you like to hold the baby? |
| hold the door | He held the door open for her. |
| hold a belief | They hold strong beliefs about justice. |
| hold steady | Prices have held steady this month. |
| hold the record | She holds the world record in high jump. |
| hold an opinion | You’re entitled to hold your own opinion. |
| hold power | The party holds power in parliament. |
| hold a funeral | They held the funeral last Saturday. |
| hold your ground | You must hold your ground in negotiations. |
| hold someone’s hand | He held her hand during the scary movie. |
| hold a license | You must hold a valid license to drive. |
| hold interest | That book couldn’t hold my interest. |
| hold tight | Hold tight, we’re going downhill! |
18. Collocations with Raise
“Raise” is commonly used with issues, emotions, standards, and physical objects. It’s a verb of elevation—literal or metaphorical.
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| raise your hand | Please raise your hand if you know the answer. |
| raise a question | She raised an important question. |
| raise awareness | The campaign aims to raise awareness of cancer. |
| raise the bar | They really raised the bar with that movie. |
| raise money | We need to raise money for the charity. |
| raise a child | It’s hard to raise a child alone. |
| raise an issue | He raised the issue during the meeting. |
| raise eyebrows | Her behavior raised eyebrows. |
| raise the alarm | Someone raised the alarm about the fire. |
| raise concerns | Parents raised concerns about school lunches. |
| raise a flag | They raised the flag at sunrise. |
| raise doubts | This news raises doubts about their claims. |
| raise a toast | Let’s raise a toast to the bride and groom. |
| raise your voice | Don’t raise your voice at me. |
| raise taxes | The government plans to raise taxes. |
| raise the roof | The crowd raised the roof at the concert. |
| raise expectations | The ad raised expectations too high. |
| raise standards | Schools must raise educational standards. |
| raise spirits | His joke raised our spirits. |
| raise your hopes | Don’t raise your hopes just yet. |
| raise objections | Several members raised objections. |
If you’re serious about sounding fluent in English, collocations are your secret weapon. They help you think in phrases, speak more smoothly, and understand real English faster.
Whether you’re writing an essay, chatting with friends, or preparing for exams like IELTS or TOEFL—mastering collocations gives you a big boost.