220+ Common Collocations in English (List, Examples & Exercise)

List of Common Collocations in English (List, Examples & Exercises)

If you want to sound natural and fluent in English, learning vocabulary alone is not enough. You also need to learn collocations — words that naturally go together.

For example:

  • ✅ make a mistake
    ❌ do a mistake
  • ✅ heavy rain
    ❌ strong rain

These natural word combinations are called collocations.

Learning collocations helps you:

✔ Speak more naturally
✔ Write better sentences
✔ Understand native speakers
✔ Avoid common mistakes

In this guide, you’ll learn 220+ common English collocations, organized into clear categories, plus a practice exercise with answers.

What Are Collocations?

Collocations are words that often go together in English.

Instead of learning single words, learn chunks:

  • make a decision
  • take a break
  • pay attention
  • heavy rain

This is how native speakers really use English.

List of Common Collocations in English

Here is a list of the most common english collocations and fixed expressions in English:

1. Verb + Noun Collocations (Make / Do / Have / Take / Give / Get)

MAKE

  1. make a mistake — I made a mistake in my homework.
  2. make a decision — She needs to make a decision soon.
  3. make a difference — Good teachers make a difference in students’ lives.
  4. make a mess — The kids made a mess in the kitchen.
  5. make noise — Please don’t make noise during the exam.
  6. make an effort — You should make an effort to speak English every day.
  7. make money — He makes money by selling products online.
  8. make progress — She is making progress in her English.
  9. make room — Can you make room for one more chair?
  10. make trouble — The boys were making trouble at school.
  11. make a plan — Let’s make a plan for the weekend.
  12. make breakfast — I usually make breakfast at 7 a.m.
  13. make lunch — She made lunch for the whole family.
  14. make dinner — Who’s going to make dinner tonight?
  15. make friends — It’s easy to make friends in this class.
  16. make a phone call — I need to make a phone call.
  17. make a list — Make a list of things you need to buy.
  18. make furniture — My grandfather makes furniture by hand.
  19. make a suggestion — Can I make a suggestion?
  20. make time for — You should make time for your hobbies.

DO

  1. do homework — I do my homework every evening.
  2. do housework — She does the housework on Saturdays.
  3. do business — They do business with companies overseas.
  4. do exercise — I do exercise to stay healthy.
  5. do the dishes — He does the dishes after dinner.
  6. do the cooking — My father does the cooking on weekends.
  7. do the shopping — We do the shopping at the supermarket.
  8. do the washing up — Can you do the washing up tonight?
  9. do nothing — I just want to do nothing and relax.
  10. do someone a favour — Could you do me a favour?
  11. do your best — Always do your best in exams.
  12. do your hair — She’s doing her hair in the bathroom.
  13. do the laundry — I do the laundry twice a week.
  14. do research — The students are doing research for the project.
  15. do a job — He did a good job on the presentation.
  16. do the cleaning — We do the cleaning together.
  17. do the gardening — My grandfather enjoys doing the gardening.
  18. do the ironing — I hate doing the ironing.
  19. do damage — The storm did serious damage to the houses.
  20. do well — She always does well at school.

HAVE

  1. have breakfast — I have breakfast at 7 a.m.
  2. have lunch — We have lunch together at work.
  3. have dinner — They had dinner late last night.
  4. have a bath — The baby is having a bath.
  5. have a shower — I have a shower every morning.
  6. have a drink — Let’s have a drink after work.
  7. have fun — The kids are having fun at the park.
  8. have a good time — We had a good time at the party.
  9. have a haircut — I’m going to have a haircut tomorrow.
  10. have a holiday — They’re having a holiday in Spain.
  11. have a problem — I have a problem with my computer.
  12. have a relationship — They have a good relationship.
  13. have a rest — Sit down and have a rest.
  14. have sympathy — I have sympathy for her situation.
  15. have a chat — We had a chat after class.
  16. have a look — Have a look at this photo.
  17. have a meal — Let’s have a meal together.
  18. have a party — They had a party for her birthday.
  19. have a meeting — We’re having a meeting at 10.
  20. have an idea — I have an idea for the project.

TAKE

  1. take a break — Let’s take a break.
  2. take a chance — You should take a chance sometimes.
  3. take a look — Take a look at this report.
  4. take a rest — Sit down and take a rest.
  5. take a seat — Please take a seat.
  6. take a taxi — We took a taxi to the airport.
  7. take an exam — Students take an exam next week.
  8. take notes — She takes notes during lectures.
  9. take someone’s place — John will take my place today.
  10. take someone’s temperature — The nurse took his temperature.
  11. take a risk — He took a risk and started a business.
  12. take a photo — I took a photo of the sunset.
  13. take a shower — I usually take a shower at night.
  14. take responsibility — You must take responsibility for your actions.
  15. take action — The government must take action.
  16. take part — She took part in the competition.
  17. take care — Take care of yourself.
  18. take time — Learning English takes time.
  19. take medicine — Don’t forget to take your medicine.
  20. take advice — He never takes advice from others.

GIVE

  1. give advice — She gave me useful advice.
  2. give a speech — He gave a speech at the conference.
  3. give an answer — Can you give an answer?
  4. give a call — Give me a call later.
  5. give permission — They gave us permission to leave.
  6. give information — The teacher gave us information.
  7. give a gift — I gave her a gift.
  8. give a hug — She gave her mother a hug.
  9. give support — Friends give support in difficult times.
  10. give someone a hand — Can you give me a hand with this box?

GET

  1. get a job — He got a job at a bank.
  2. get married — They got married last summer.
  3. get divorced — They decided to get divorced.
  4. get angry — Don’t get angry over small things.
  5. get drunk — He got drunk at the party.
  6. get frightened — The child got frightened by the noise.
  7. get home — I get home at 6 p.m.
  8. get lost — We got lost in the city.
  9. get ready — Get ready for school.
  10. get started — Let’s get started now.
  11. get permission — You need to get permission first.
  12. get pregnant — She got pregnant last year.
  13. get upset — Don’t get upset about it.
  14. get wet — We got wet in the rain.
  15. get worried — Parents get worried easily.
  16. get better — I hope you get better soon.
  17. get worse — The weather got worse.
  18. get dressed — He got dressed quickly.
  19. get the message — I get the message now.
  20. get the impression — I got the impression she was tired.

2. Break / Catch / Pay / Save / Keep Collocations

BREAK

  1. break a habit – I’m trying to break the habit of checking my phone every five minutes.
  2. break a promise – He broke his promise and didn’t show up.
  3. break a record – She broke the record for the fastest marathon time.
  4. break a window – The ball broke a window during the game.
  5. break someone’s heart – The movie ending broke my heart.
  6. break the ice – He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
  7. break the law – Anyone who breaks the law must face the consequences.
  8. break the rules – You can’t break the rules during the exam.
  9. break the news – She broke the news gently to her family.
  10. break a leg – “Break a leg!” we said before her performance.

CATCH

  1. catch a bus – We need to hurry to catch the bus.
  2. catch a train – They left early to catch the train.
  3. catch a cold – I caught a cold because of the rain.
  4. catch the flu – Many students caught the flu last winter.
  5. catch a chill – Put on a jacket or you’ll catch a chill.
  6. catch a thief – The police caught the thief quickly.
  7. catch fire – The paper caught fire near the candle.
  8. catch sight of – I caught sight of an old friend at the mall.
  9. catch someone’s attention – The bright sign caught my attention.
  10. catch someone’s eye – That blue dress caught her eye.

PAY

  1. pay attention – Please pay attention to the instructions.
  2. pay the bill – Don’t forget to pay the bill before leaving.
  3. pay cash – I prefer to pay cash.
  4. pay by credit card – You can pay by credit card online.
  5. pay interest – The bank makes you pay interest on the loan.
  6. pay a fine – He had to pay a fine for speeding.
  7. pay the price – If you cheat, you’ll pay the price later.
  8. pay respects – They visited the cemetery to pay their respects.
  9. pay someone a visit – We paid our grandparents a visit last weekend.
  10. pay someone a compliment – She paid me a compliment about my work.

SAVE

  1. save money – I’m trying to save money for a trip.
  2. save time – Online shopping saves time.
  3. save energy – Turn off the lights to save energy.
  4. save electricity – These bulbs save electricity.
  5. save space – This table folds to save space.
  6. save someone’s life – The doctor saved his life.
  7. save a seat – Can you save me a seat?
  8. save one’s strength – You should save your strength for tomorrow.
  9. save something to a disk – Don’t forget to save the file to a disk.
  10. save yourself the trouble – Save yourself the trouble and call first.

KEEP

  1. keep calm – Keep calm during the interview.
  2. keep quiet – Please keep quiet during the movie.
  3. keep a promise – Always keep your promises.
  4. keep a secret – Can you keep a secret?
  5. keep a diary – She keeps a diary every day.
  6. keep control – Try to keep control of your emotions.
  7. keep in touch – Let’s keep in touch after the course.
  8. keep an appointment – He always keeps his appointments.
  9. keep the change – Here’s $10 — keep the change.
  10. keep an eye on – Can you keep an eye on my bag?

3. Collocations using adjective (Adjective + Noun Collocations)

  1. heavy rain — We had heavy rain last night.
  2. heavy traffic — There’s heavy traffic this morning.
  3. heavy bag — This bag is very heavy.
  4. strong coffee — I prefer strong coffee.
  5. strong wind — A strong wind blew all day.
  6. strong accent — He has a strong accent.
  7. big mistake — That was a big mistake.
  8. big problem — We have a big problem.
  9. big surprise — It was a big surprise.
  10. fast food — They often eat fast food.
  11. fast learner — She is a fast learner.
  12. high price — The car has a high price.
  13. high temperature — The patient has a high temperature.
  14. high speed — He was driving at high speed.
  15. low price — They sell products at a low price.
  16. low cost — This service has low cost.
  17. deep sleep — The baby is in deep sleep.
  18. deep breath — Take a deep breath.
  19. rich history — The city has a rich history.
  20. bright future — She has a bright future.
  21. hard work — Success requires hard work.
  22. hard time — I had a hard time understanding.
  23. good idea — That’s a good idea.
  24. good news — I have good news for you.
  25. bad luck — That’s bad luck.
  26. bad habit — Smoking is a bad habit.
  27. quick answer — He gave a quick answer.
  28. quick shower — I took a quick shower.
  29. free time — What do you do in your free time?
  30. spare time — I read books in my spare time.

4. Fixed & Business/Time Expressions

  1. on time — She arrived on time.
  2. in a hurry — I’m in a hurry today.
  3. by chance — We met by chance.
  4. at least — Try at least once.
  5. from time to time — I travel from time to time.
  6. as soon as possible — Please reply as soon as possible.
  7. in charge of — She is in charge of the team.
  8. run out of time — We ran out of time.
  9. waste time — Don’t waste time online.
  10. spend time — I spend time with my family.
  11. take your time — Take your time, there’s no rush.
  12. tell the time — My son can tell the time now.
  13. bang on time — The train arrived bang on time.
  14. right on time — She showed up right on time.
  15. bear in mind — Bear in mind the rules.
  16. chair a meeting — She chaired the meeting.
  17. close a deal — They closed a deal yesterday.
  18. close a meeting — He closed the meeting early.
  19. draw a conclusion — We drew a conclusion from the data.
  20. draw your attention to — I’d like to draw your attention to this point.
  21. launch a product — The company launched a new product.
  22. lay off staff — The company laid off staff last year.
  23. make a profit — The business made a profit.
  24. make a loss — The company made a loss.
  25. sales figures — Sales figures increased this year.
  26. annual turnover — The company has a high annual turnover.
  27. go bankrupt — The company went bankrupt.
  28. go abroad — She plans to go abroad.
  29. come to a decision — We came to a decision quickly.
  30. come to an agreement — They came to an agreement.

5. Common American English Collocations (Everyday Spoken English)

Some collocations are especially common in American English, particularly in daily conversations, movies, and TV shows.
Learning these expressions will help you sound more natural and understand native speakers more easily.

Everyday American Collocations (Verb + Noun / Phrase)

CollocationExample Sentence
221. grab a coffeeLet’s grab a coffee after class.
222. grab a bite (to eat)We grabbed a quick bite before work.
223. take a napI took a nap after lunch.
224. take a walkShe takes a walk every evening.
225. take a day offI’m taking a day off tomorrow.
226. get a rideCan you get me a ride home?
227. get gasI need to get gas for the car.
228. get groceriesShe’s getting groceries.
229. make a callI need to make a call.
230. make a reservationWe made a reservation at the restaurant.
231. make a copyCan you make a copy of this document?
232. do the laundryI do the laundry on Sundays.
233. do the yard workHe’s doing yard work today.
234. have a seatPlease have a seat.
235. have a snackI had a snack between meals.
236. catch a gameLet’s catch a game tonight.
237. catch a flightWe caught an early flight.
238. hit the roadIt’s late — let’s hit the road.
239. run errandsI need to run some errands.
240. save money upI’m saving money up for a trip.

Common American Spoken Expressions (Informal Collocations)

ExpressionMeaning / Example
241. hang outWe hung out at the mall.
242. hang onHang on a minute.
243. work outEverything worked out fine.
244. figure outI’ll figure it out.
245. fill out a formPlease fill out this form.
246. pick up the phoneHe didn’t pick up the phone.
247. drop off someoneI’ll drop you off at school.
248. pick someone upI’ll pick you up at 6.
249. check outCheck out this video!
250. try on clothesShe tried on the jacket.
251. clean upClean up your room.
252. heat up foodHeat up the leftovers.
253. cool downThe weather cooled down.
254. back up dataBack up your files regularly.
255. sign up forI signed up for the course.

Practice Exercise (Collocations Quiz)

Gap-Fill Exercise

Choose the correct word:
make – do – have – take – catch

  1. I always ______ my homework after school.
  2. Let’s ______ a break.
  3. She ______ a mistake in the test. (In the simple past)
  4. We ususally ______ lunch at 12:30.
  5. He ______ a photo of the sunset. (In the simple past)
  6. Please ______ attention to the teacher.
  7. I ______ a cold last winter. (In the simple past)
  8. They ______ progress every week.
  9. Can you ______ me a favour?
  10. She ______ a decision quickly. (In the simple past)
1. do
2. take
3. made
4. have
5. took
6. pay
7. caught
8. make
9. do
10. made

Tip for Learners

👉 Many American collocations are phrasal verbs or informal phrases.
If you watch movies, YouTube, or TV series, try to notice and write down these word combinations.

They will help you sound more fluent and natural, especially in conversation.

Common Mistakes with Collocations (and How to Fix Them)

Even advanced learners make mistakes with collocations because they often translate directly from their first language.

Remember:
👉 English uses fixed word combinations. You must learn them as chunks, not single words.

Below are some of the most common collocation errors students make.

  1. Do a mistake
    • → Make a mistake
    • Explanation: We always use make, not do, with mistake.
    • ✔ Example: I made a mistake in the test.
  2. Make homework
    • → Do homework
    • Explanation: Homework is an activity/task → use do, not make.
    • ✔ Example: She does her homework every evening.
  3. Strong rain
    • → Heavy rain
    • Explanation: Rain collocates with heavy, not strong.
    • ✔ Example: There was heavy rain last night.
  4. Make a photo
    • → Take a photo
    • Explanation: In English we take photos, we don’t make them.
    • ✔ Example: He took a photo of the sunset.
  5. Do a decision
    • → Make a decision
    • Explanation: Decisions are things you make.
    • ✔ Example: We need to make a decision quickly.
  6. Say a joke
    • → Tell a joke
    • Explanation: Jokes collocate with tell.
    • ✔ Example: He told a funny joke at the party.
  7. Do exercise
    • → Do exercise / Do exercises / Get exercise
    • Common confusion:
      • do exercises (specific activities)
      • get exercise (general physical activity)
    • ✔ Examples:
      • I do exercises at the gym.
      • You should get more exercise.
  8. Big traffic
    • → Heavy traffic
    • Explanation: Traffic collocates with heavy.
    • ✔ Example: We were late because of heavy traffic.
  9. Make research
    • → Do research / Conduct research
    • Explanation: Research uses do or conduct, not make.
    • ✔ Example: Scientists conduct research on climate change.
  10. Give an exam (student meaning)
    • → Take an exam
    • Explanation:
      • Students take an exam
      • Teachers give an exam
    • ✔ Examples:
      • I took an exam yesterday.
      • The teacher gave us an exam.

How to Avoid Collocation Mistakes

Here are some simple tips:

1. Learn phrases, not single words

Instead of learning:

  • ✘ decision

Learn:

  • ✔ make a decision

2. Use a collocation notebook

Write:

  • verb + noun pairs
  • adjective + noun pairs
  • example sentences

3. Read and listen a lot

Collocations appear naturally in:

  • songs
  • movies
  • news
  • stories

The more exposure you get, the more natural they feel.

4. Practice regularly

Do:

  • gap-fill exercises
  • matching activities
  • sentence completion
  • speaking practice with chunks

💡 Pro Tip:
If something “sounds wrong,” it’s probably a collocation problem!

More Tips for Learning Collocations Faster

✔ Learn phrases, not single words
✔ Read and listen a lot
✔ Keep a collocation notebook
✔ Practice with sentences
✔ Use quizzes and flashcards

Collocations – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a collocation and example?

A collocation is a pair or group of words that are commonly used together in English. Native speakers use these word combinations naturally.
✅ Examples:
– make a decision (NOT do a decision)
– heavy rain (NOT strong rain)
– catch a cold
Learning collocations helps you sound more natural and fluent.

Are collocations grammar or vocabulary?

Collocations are mainly part of vocabulary, not grammar.
They focus on which words naturally go together, not on verb tenses or sentence structure.
For example:
– Grammar → past tense of go = went
– Vocabulary/collocation → we say take a photo, not make a photo
So collocations are about word choice.

Are collocations and phrasal verbs the same?

No, they are different.
– Collocations
Common word combinations
→ make money, pay attention
– Phrasal verbs
Verb + particle (preposition/adverb) with a new meaning
→ give up, look after, turn on
Sometimes a phrasal verb can appear inside a collocation, but they are not the same thing.

Are collocations idioms?

Not exactly.
Collocations
– Meaning is usually clear
→ fast food, do homework
Idioms
– Meaning is NOT literal
→ break the ice (start talking comfortably)
→ spill the beans (reveal a secret)
Some expressions (like break the ice) can be both a collocation and an idiom.

Are collocations formal or informal?

Collocations can be formal, neutral, or informal, depending on the context.
Examples:
Formal:
– conduct research
– reach a conclusion
Neutral:
– make dinner
– take a shower
Informal:
– grab a bite
– hang out
It’s important to choose collocations that match the situation.

What are the 7 types of collocation?

Here are the most common types:
1. Verb + Noun → make a mistake.
2. Adjective + Noun → strong coffee
3. Noun + Noun → traffic jam
4. Verb + Adverb → apologize sincerely
5. Adverb + Adjective → deeply concerned
6. Verb + Preposition → depend on
7. Adjective + Preposition → afraid of
Learning by type makes collocations easier to remember.

What are 10 common collocations?

Here are 10 everyday collocations:
1. make a decision
2. do homework
3. catch a cold
4. pay attention
5. save time
6. keep quiet
7. break the rules
8. take a break
9. have lunch
10. give advice
These are very common in daily English.

How many collocations are there in English?

There is no exact number.
English has thousands of collocations because new combinations appear all the time.
Instead of memorizing everything, focus on:
– high-frequency collocations
– topic-based lists
– phrases you see often in reading and listening
That’s why this post gives you the +200 most useful collocations first.

What are the rules for collocations?

There are no strict grammar rules for collocations.
They are based on usage and habit.
For example:
– We say make a mistake, not do a mistake
– We say heavy rain, not big rain
The best way to learn collocations is:
✅ read a lot
✅ listen to native English
✅ learn phrases (not single words)
✅ practice with exercises

Tags: CollocationsVocabulary Lists
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