IEO – English Olympiad
Advanced Grammar & Transformation
Topic: Common Word Pairings (Collocations)
1. Simple Explanation
Collocations are words that habitually go together in natural English.
They are not random combinations; they feel “right” to native speakers and “wrong” to learners.
- Why they matter
- Make your language sound fluent and idiomatic.
- Essential for high‑level exams (IOE, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge C2).
- Crucial for transforming sentences: you can’t simply swap words— you must use the correct pair.
Incorrect: She made a good decision.
Correct: She made a wise decision.
2. Key Points
| Type | Typical Pattern | Example | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective + Noun | strong coffee, heavy rain | a strong argument | a big argument (acceptable but less common) |
| Verb + Noun | take a break, make a suggestion | to make a decision | to do a decision |
| Verb + Preposition | rely on, depend on, focus on | She rely on her team | She rely with her team |
| Noun + Preposition | interest in, fear of, complaint about | His interest in history | His interest to history |
| Adverb + Verb | completely understand, deeply regret | I deeply regret the mistake | I deeply regret the mistake (actually correct—example of more subtle collocation) |
| Adverb + Adjective | very happy, extremely rare | It is extremely important | It is very important (both fine, but some collocations are specific) |
| Noun + Noun | a bunch of flowers, a team of experts | She received a bunch of compliments | She received a bunch on compliments |
| Verb + Adverb | to actively participate, to deeply feel | We actively participated in the discussion | We actively participated in the discussion (here the adverb is optional but common) |
Tips for Identifying Collocations
-
Dictionary & Corpus
- Use Oxford Collocations Dictionary or Cambridge Dictionary (search “collocations”).
- Google Ngram / COCA for frequency evidence.
-
Unit Patterns
- Remember fixed patterns: make a decision, take a photo, pass a law.
-
Common “Wrong” Alternatives
- do a decision → make a decision
- have an idea → have an idea (fine) but have a idea is more common.
-
Collocation vs. Co‑occurrence
- Collocation is predictable (high frequency).
- Co‑occurrence can be random or rare.
-
Idiomatic Collocations
- a huge problem, a big mistake, a great success—not synonyms but idiomatic pairings.
3. Worked Example
Task
Transform the sentence so that it uses the correct collocation.
Original: The manager did a good decision regarding the layoffs.
Step‑by‑Step
-
Identify the collocation that fits the meaning.
- Verb “make” collocates with “decision”.
- Adjective “good” collocates with “decision” (though “wise” or “sound” are more idiomatic).
-
Replace the mismatched parts.
- Change did → made.
- Keep good (acceptable but consider sound for higher level).
-
Re‑check word order and article usage.
- a decision is correct.
-
Resulting sentence
Corrected: The manager made a sound decision regarding the layoffs.
Why It Works
| Wrong | Reason (collocation) | Right | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| did a decision | do + decision is non‑idiomatic | make a decision | make + decision is the standard collocation |
| good decision | acceptable, but “sound” is more idiomatic for a decision | sound decision | sound + decision is a high‑frequency collocation |
4. Quick Revision Summary
- Collocations = natural word pairings that feel “right” to native speakers.
- Common types
- Adjective + Noun (e.g., strong coffee)
- Verb + Noun (e.g., make a decision)
- Verb + Preposition (e.g., rely on)
- Noun + Preposition (e.g., interest in)
- Adverb + Verb (e.g., *