Lesson 4 of 6
Collocations: Words That Go Together
Say "make a decision" and "heavy traffic" like a native speaker.
Collocations are word partners that native speakers use automatically. You can understand "do a mistake" and "strong rain", but they instantly sound non-native. The correct partners are "make a mistake" and "heavy rain". Learning collocations is one of the fastest ways to sound advanced.
LearnThe key ideas
Make vs do
| make | do |
|---|---|
| make a decision, make a mistake | do homework, do the dishes |
| make money, make a plan | do business, do a favor |
| make progress, make a call | do your best, do research |
| make an effort, make friends | do exercise, do the laundry |
Other key collocations
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| strong rain | heavy rain |
| big traffic | heavy traffic |
| do a photo | take a photo |
| say a joke | tell a joke |
| powerful coffee | strong coffee |
| get a cold | catch a cold |
| give attention | pay attention |
ListenListen and repeat
- I made a big mistake."Make" with mistake.
- Can you do me a favor?"Do" with favor.
- The traffic was really heavy.Not "big traffic".
- Let me take a quick photo.Not "do" or "make" a photo.
AvoidCommon mistakes
I did a mistake.✓ I made a mistake.Mistakes are made.
We did a party.✓ We had (or threw) a party.Parties are had or thrown.
Open the light.✓ Turn on the light.Lights are turned on and off.
SpeakShadowing practice
Press Listen, then repeat straight away, copying the speed, rhythm and tone. Say each sentence three times, then record yourself.
- I need to make a decision by Friday.
- Could you do me a quick favor?
- Sorry I'm late, the traffic was crazy heavy.
Record the sentences above and compare with the audio.
CheckQuick quiz
1. Correct collocation:
2. "___ the light, please."
3. Which is natural?
PracticeToday's speaking task
Write 10 sentences: 5 with "make" and 5 with "do" from the table. Read them aloud until they feel automatic.