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Kenneth's ESL Blog

By Kenneth Beare, About.com Guide to ESL since 1997

Collocations

Wednesday October 29, 2003
One element of improving your vocabulary is learning which verbs go with which nouns - also called collocations. For example: Do you make or do a mess? Does he miss or lose an opportunity? Here is a series of collocation quizzes:
Combinations with Take, Have and Break
Combinations with Catch, Pay and Keep
Combinations with Save, Find and Go
Combinations with Come, Get and Feel
Combinations with Miss, Get, Do and Make

Comments

June 13, 2006 at 11:06 am
(1) Ohm says:

Hi,
I am interested in excelling my English knowledge, collacations in particular. However, I would like to learn about the common collocations used without participating in any quizzes. If you could suggest me any weblink, that will be very useful. Thanx – Ohm

December 21, 2006 at 6:00 pm
(2) Mary says:

yah, I agree with Ohm… I would like to see some detailed explanation. Thanks and more power to your site!

January 16, 2007 at 4:52 am
(3) Bernadette says:

Would like to know about collocations please

February 5, 2008 at 3:42 am
(4) Simon says:

For the guys above. Please, please don’t bother memorizing lists of collocations. There are thousands of them.
My advice is to read. Read books that you enjoy and at a level you can just about understand. Then read some more. Then after that, relax with a bit of reading.

February 27, 2008 at 11:47 am
(5) a says:

please show the collocations more exactly

March 2, 2008 at 2:51 pm
(6) Lukas says:

Great website, thank you very much. I will have an exam about collocations so this is really useful!

April 8, 2008 at 2:14 pm
(7) iui42 says:

I believe that the best way for acquiring collocations is to read and then use. I read many books and collected hundereds of lists talks about collocations.They are good, however they are so difficult to memorize when u need them. My advice is similar to simon that just read read read then read.

April 10, 2008 at 11:43 am
(8) john says:

“have a bath”? I have never in 67 years heard that expression. “Take” a bath – “take” a shower -yes. If some lost all – they “took” a bath.

May 1, 2008 at 1:31 pm
(9) Azmi says:

Hi,”have a bath” is also possible-see Oxford/Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.They are very useful for learning collocations.A good dictionary of collocation is “Oxford Collocations Dictionary”

July 21, 2008 at 6:39 pm
(10) Paula says:

I have to make an ivestigation about collocations and IŽd need some links/websites to visit. Could you let me know about some “good”one?
Thanks a lot…

January 31, 2009 at 2:16 am
(11) AmooVahid says:

in my opinion collocation is not only this but also we have coolocations with adjective and adverbs too which is as important as verbs! therefore we should pay attention to that too.

February 18, 2009 at 4:02 am
(12) Asma says:

I am student at university and i have homeworke please help me

February 19, 2009 at 12:29 pm
(13) esl says:

I’m afraid I’m unable to provide homework help personally. I suggest you try the forum where you will find many helpful English speakers.

April 15, 2009 at 10:53 am
(14) chalk says:

plz help me
strong&fierce. factor&sector.

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