English collocations with meanings and examples

Collocations are word pairs that native speakers naturally use together, like “make a decision” rather than “do a decision”. Each entry below has a plain-English meaning, a real example and the mistake learners most often make.

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Everyday Speaking collocations

• make a decisionto choose what to do after thinking about the possible options
• take a showerto wash your body while standing under running water
• catch a coldto become ill with a cold, a common infection of the nose and throat
• do the dishesto wash the plates, cups and pans after a meal
• have a chatto talk to someone in a friendly, informal way
• have funto enjoy yourself while you are doing something
• make progressto improve or move forward towards a goal
• lose weightto become lighter and thinner, for example by eating less or exercising
• hard worka lot of effort, or a task that needs a lot of effort
• common sensethe natural ability to make good, practical judgements
• all nightduring the whole of a night, from evening until morning

Work & Business collocations

• conduct businessto carry out commercial activities, especially in a formal or official way
• hold a meetingto arrange and have a formal meeting with other people
• meet a deadlineto finish something by the time it is due
• miss a deadlineto fail to finish something by the time it is due
• sign a contractto write your name on a legal agreement to show that you accept it
• boost productivityto increase the amount of work that people or machines produce

Study & Academic collocations

• carry out researchto do detailed study in order to discover new facts or information
• conduct an experimentto organise and do a scientific test in order to find something out
• draw a conclusionto decide what is true after thinking carefully about the facts
• gather datato collect information from different sources for study or analysis
• analyze datato examine information carefully to find patterns or meaning
• empirical evidenceinformation based on observation or experiments rather than theory
• statistically significanttoo large or consistent to be explained by chance alone
• adverse effecta harmful or unwanted result
• causal linka connection in which one thing directly makes another thing happen
• underlying causethe real or basic reason for something, which may not be obvious
• academic staffthe teachers and researchers employed by a university or college

IELTS & PTE Booster collocations

• profound impacta very strong and deep effect on someone or something
• play a vital roleto be very important in making something happen or succeed
• pose a threatto be a possible danger to someone or something
• close the divideto reduce a big difference or gap between two groups
• pave the wayto create the conditions that make a future development possible
• shed light onto help explain something or make it easier to understand
• take into accountto consider something when making a judgement or decision
• stem fromto be caused by something or develop as a result of it
• attribute toto say or believe that something is caused by a particular thing or person
• strike a balanceto find a fair compromise between two different needs or demands
• pressing needa need that is urgent and must be dealt with soon

Feelings & Health collocations

• deeply hurtvery upset because of something unkind that someone said or did
• bitterly disappointedextremely sad because something you hoped for did not happen
• burst into tearsto suddenly start crying
• breathe a sigh of reliefto feel relaxed because a worry or danger has ended
• feel down in the dumpsto feel sad and lacking energy or hope
• balanced dieta combination of foods that gives your body all the nutrients it needs
• immune systemthe cells and organs in the body that fight infection and disease
• food poisoningan illness of the stomach caused by eating food that contains harmful bacteria
• flesh and blooda member of your family, or a normal human being with human weaknesses

Goals & Decisions collocations

• set a goalto decide on something specific that you want to achieve
• reach a goalto succeed in achieving something you have been aiming for
• pursue a dreamto try hard over a long period to achieve something you really want
• make up your mindto decide something after thinking about the choices
• change your mindto form a new decision or opinion that is different from your earlier one
• stick to a planto continue following a plan without changing it

Opinions & Debate collocations

• express an opinionto say or show what you think about something
• voice concernto say openly that you are worried about something
• strongly disagreeto have an opinion that is very different from someone else's
• firmly believeto be completely sure that something is true or right
• open to discussionnot yet decided, so people can still talk about it and suggest changes
• hit the nail on the headto describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem