Saturday, November 1, 2025

Language Tip: Use Collocations for Natural English

To sound fluent and natural, learn collocations—words that naturally go together in English. Native speakers don’t say “do a mistake” or “strong rain”; they say “make a mistake” and “heavy rain.”

Collocations make your speech and writing sound more authentic and professional.

Examples:

Make a decision (not do a decision)

Do homework (not make homework)

Take a break (not do a break)

Have breakfast (not eat breakfast in formal English)

Catch a cold (not get a cold)

Save time (not keep time)

Keep a promise (not hold a promise)

Break the rules (not damage the rules)

Why it matters: Using correct word combinations shows that you truly understand how English works beyond grammar rules. It helps you sound confident, fluent, and natural in everyday conversations, essays, and interviews.

👉 Tip: Read English articles or listen to native speakers—you’ll start noticing which words “live together.” That’s the secret to mastering collocations!


AUTHOR

Dr L Suresh

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore - 641020

Contact: 9944138137

e-mail ID: sureshenglit@rmv.ac.in

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