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Types of collocations in the English language
- Verb + Noun Collocations: These are combinations of verbs and nouns that frequently occur together, such as “make a decision,” “take a shower,” or “do homework.”
- Adjective + Noun Collocations: These are pairs of adjectives and nouns that often go together, like “hot coffee,” “strong wind,” or “heavy rain.”
- Adverb + Adjective Collocations: These are combinations of adverbs and adjectives, such as “very happy,” “extremely tired,” or “incredibly beautiful.”
- Noun + Noun Collocations: These are compound nouns formed by combining two nouns, like “toothbrush,” “car park,” or “cell phone.”
- Preposition + Noun Collocations: These are combinations of prepositions and nouns, like “influence on,” “preparation for,” or “connection to.”
- Verb + Adverb Collocations: These are pairs of verbs and adverbs that often appear together, such as “run quickly,” “talk loudly,” or “eat slowly.”
- Noun + Prepositional Phrase Collocations: These involve a noun followed by a prepositional phrase, like “a cup of tea,” “the city of London,” or “a piece of cake.”
- Verb + Preposition Collocations: These are combinations of verbs and prepositions that convey specific meanings, like “look after,” “depend on,” or “listen to.”
- Adjective + Preposition Collocations: These are pairs of adjectives and prepositions that are commonly used together, such as “angry with,” “interested in,” or “good at.”
- Verb + Object Collocations: These are combinations of verbs and their direct objects, like “eat breakfast,” “write a letter,” or “read a book.”
- Phrasal Verbs: These are multi-word verbs formed by combining a verb with one or more particles (typically prepositions or adverbs), like “pick up,” “turn off,” or “get along with.”
- Idiomatic Expressions: These are fixed phrases or expressions that don’t follow typical grammatical rules, such as “kick the bucket” (meaning to die) or “hit the books” (meaning to study).
- Compound Adjectives: These are adjectives created by joining two or more words together with hyphens, like “well-known,” “high-quality,” or “easy-going.”
Verb + Noun Collocations
Here are 10 verb + noun collocations with example sentences:
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| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| Make a decision | She had to make a decision about her career path. |
| Take a break | Let’s take a break and grab some coffee. |
| Give advice | Can you give me some advice on buying a car? |
| Run a business | My uncle runs a successful bakery downtown. |
| Conduct a study | The researchers conducted a study on climate change. |
| Write an essay | I need to write an essay for my English class. |
| Hold a meeting | We’ll hold a meeting to discuss the project’s progress. |
| Break the news | It’s never easy to break the news of a loved one’s passing. |
| Keep a promise | I always try to keep my promises to my friends. |
| Take a vacation | After a long year of work, I decided to take a vacation. |
Adjective + Noun Collocations
Here are 15 adjective + noun collocations with example sentences:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| 1. Beautiful sunset | The beautiful sunset painted the sky in shades of orange and pink. |
| 2. Cold weather | We had to bundle up in warm clothes to endure the cold weather. |
| 3. Delicious meal | The chef prepared a delicious meal with a variety of flavors. |
| 4. Green forest | The green forest was home to many different species of animals. |
| 5. Bright sunshine | The bright sunshine warmed our faces on the summer day. |
| 6. Peaceful beach | We spent a peaceful day relaxing on the tranquil beach. |
| 7. Heavy traffic | The heavy traffic made us late for the meeting. |
| 8. Spicy food | I love eating spicy food, but it can be too hot for some people. |
| 9. Tall building | The tall building stood as a landmark in the city. |
| 10. Busy street | The busy street was bustling with pedestrians and cars. |
| 11. Soft pillow | I rested my head on the soft pillow and quickly fell asleep. |
| 12. Fresh flowers | She received a bouquet of fresh flowers for her birthday. |
| 13. Warm sweater | I wore a warm sweater to stay cozy in the chilly weather. |
| 14. Colorful painting | The artist created a colorful painting that brightened up the room. |
| 15. Sweet aroma | The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen. |
Adverb + Adjective Collocations
Here are 15 adverb + adjective collocations with example sentences:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| Incredibly talented | She is incredibly talented in playing the piano. |
| Remarkably fast | The car accelerated remarkably fast. |
| Extremely beautiful | The sunset over the ocean was extremely beautiful. |
| Surprisingly easy | Learning the new software was surprisingly easy. |
| Exceptionally bright | The student demonstrated an exceptionally bright mind. |
| Astonishingly quick | His reflexes were astonishingly quick. |
| Incredibly delicious | The homemade lasagna was incredibly delicious. |
| Remarkably quiet | The library was remarkably quiet today. |
| Extremely rare | Finding a four-leaf clover is extremely rare. |
| Surprisingly affordable | The hotel rates were surprisingly affordable. |
| Exceptionally talented | He’s an exceptionally talented artist. |
| Astonishingly beautiful | The scenery was astonishingly beautiful. |
| Incredibly difficult | Solving this puzzle is incredibly difficult. |
| Remarkably talented | The young singer is remarkably talented. |
| Extremely generous | Her donation was extremely generous. |
These collocations combine adverbs and adjectives to provide a more vivid and precise description in each example sentence.
Noun + Noun Collocations
Here are 15 noun + noun collocations with example sentences:
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| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| Coffee shop | Let’s meet at the coffee shop for a quick chat. |
| Business meeting | The business meeting lasted for three hours. |
| Traffic jam | I was late to work because of a traffic jam. |
| Job interview | She has a job interview scheduled for tomorrow. |
| Student loan | Paying off my student loan is a priority. |
| Shopping mall | The shopping mall is crowded on weekends. |
| Rainy day | It’s a perfect book to read on a rainy day. |
| Public transportation | I prefer using public transportation to drive. |
| Birthday party | We’re throwing a birthday party for Sarah. |
| Computer virus | My computer got infected with a computer virus. |
| Family vacation | We had a fantastic family vacation last summer. |
| Traffic accident | A traffic accident caused a major delay. |
| Health insurance | Having health insurance is essential these days. |
| Summer vacation | I’m looking forward to our summer vacation. |
| Job opportunity | This job opportunity came at the right time. |
These collocations represent common combinations of nouns in English with example sentences to illustrate their usage.
Preposition + Noun Collocations
Sure, here are 15 preposition + noun collocations with example sentences:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| In the morning | I like to drink coffee in the morning. |
| On the table | There’s a book on the table. |
| Under the bed | I found my missing shoe under the bed. |
| By the window | I enjoy reading a book by the window. |
| At the park | Let’s meet at the park this afternoon. |
| With a friend | I went to the movies with a friend last night. |
| For breakfast | I usually have cereal for breakfast. |
| In the city | There are many restaurants in the city. |
| On the wall | Hang that picture on the wall, please. |
| By the river | We had a picnic by the river yesterday. |
| At the office | I’ll be at the office until 5 PM today. |
| Under the tree | Let’s have a picnic under the tree. |
| With a smile | She greeted me with a smile. |
| For dinner | I’m cooking spaghetti for dinner tonight. |
| In the mirror | I saw my reflection in the mirror. |
These are just a few examples of preposition + noun collocations in English. There are many more combinations to explore.
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Verb + Adverb Collocations
Here are 15 verb + adverb collocations with example sentences:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| Drive carefully | She always drives carefully to avoid accidents. |
| Speak loudly | He had to speak loudly to be heard over the noise. |
| Walk briskly | I like to walk briskly in the morning for exercise. |
| Work diligently | She worked diligently on her research project. |
| Sing beautifully | The opera singer sang beautifully last night. |
| Sleep peacefully | After a long day, she finally slept peacefully. |
| Eat healthily | It’s important to eat healthily for a balanced diet. |
| Study diligently | He studied diligently for his upcoming exams. |
| Drive recklessly | He got a ticket for driving recklessly on the highway. |
| Speak fluently | After years of practice, she can now speak fluently in Spanish. |
| Walk casually | Let’s walk casually through the park and enjoy the scenery. |
| Work efficiently | The new software helps us work more efficiently. |
| Sing passionately | The singer sang passionately about love and heartbreak. |
| Sleep soundly | After a long hike, he slept soundly in his tent. |
| Eat quickly | We had to eat quickly to catch our train. |
These are just a few examples of verb + adverb collocations in English. There are many more combinations to explore!
Noun + Prepositional Phrase Collocations
Here are 15 noun + prepositional phrase collocations with example sentences:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| 1. Belief in | She has a strong belief in the power of education. |
| 2. Fear of | His fear of spiders is quite irrational. |
| 3. Love for | My love for music has been a lifelong passion. |
| 4. Interest in | There is a growing interest in renewable energy. |
| 5. Excitement about | There was a lot of excitement about the upcoming event. |
| 6. Trust in | We have complete trust in our team’s abilities. |
| 7. Faith in | Her faith in humanity remains unshaken. |
| 8. Passion for | His passion for cooking is evident in every dish. |
| 9. Dedication to | Her dedication to her job is truly admirable. |
| 10. Connection with | I feel a strong connection with this place. |
| 11. Agreement on | They reached an agreement on the terms of the deal. |
| 12. Concern for | Her concern for the environment is commendable. |
| 13. Approval of | The board gave their approval of the project. |
| 14. Disagreement with | There is a sharp disagreement with their decision. |
| 15. Sympathy for | He expressed his sympathy for the family’s loss. |
Verb + Preposition Collocations
Here are 15 verb + preposition collocations with example sentences presented in a table format:
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| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| 1. Look forward to | I look forward to meeting you next week. |
| 2. Run out of | We ran out of milk, so I need to buy some more. |
| 3. Get along with | She gets along with her coworkers really well. |
| 4. Think about | Have you thought about your future career plans? |
| 5. Talk to | I need to talk to my boss about a raise. |
| 6. Listen to | Can you please listen to what I have to say? |
| 7. Depend on | The success of the project depends on teamwork. |
| 8. Write to | I’ll write to you as soon as I get the chance. |
| 9. Believe in | I believe in the power of positive thinking. |
| 10. Apologize for | She apologized for arriving late to the meeting. |
| 11. Participate in | I’m excited to participate in the charity run. |
| 12. Take care of | Can you take care of my pets while I’m away? |
| 13. Apply for | He decided to apply for a job in the marketing department. |
| 14. Rely on | I rely on public transportation to get to work. |
| 15. Get used to | It takes time to get used to a new city. |
These collocations and example sentences should help you understand how these verbs are commonly used with specific prepositions in English.
Adjective + Preposition Collocations
Sure, here are 15 adjective + preposition collocations with example sentences in a table format:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| 1. Interested in | She is interested in learning a new language. |
| 2. Proud of | I’m proud of my sister’s accomplishments. |
| 3. Good at | He’s good at playing the piano. |
| 4. Afraid of | Sarah is afraid of heights. |
| 5. Angry with | Don’t be angry with me; it was an accident. |
| 6. Excited about | We’re excited about our upcoming vacation. |
| 7. Tired of | I’m tired of working long hours. |
| 8. Responsible for | John is responsible for the project’s success. |
| 9. Familiar with | Are you familiar with this software program? |
| 10. Sorry for | I’m sorry for the mistake I made. |
| 11. Proud of | They are proud of their children’s achievements. |
| 12. Dependent on | Our plans are dependent on the weather. |
| 13. Interested in | He’s always interested in trying new things. |
| 14. Confident in | She is confident in her ability to solve the problem. |
| 15. Happy for | I’m happy for you and your new job opportunity. |
These collocations demonstrate how specific adjectives are used with prepositions to convey various meanings in sentences.
Verb + Object Collocations
Here are 15 verb + object collocations with example sentences for IELTS preparation:
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| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| Conduct an experiment | The scientists conducted an experiment to test their theory. |
| Make a decision | It’s time to make a decision about your future career. |
| Give a presentation | She gave a presentation on climate change at the conference. |
| Take a photograph | I like to take photographs of beautiful landscapes. |
| Write a report | He had to write a report summarizing the project’s findings. |
| Run a business | They successfully ran a business for over a decade. |
| Conduct research | The university is known for conducting cutting-edge research. |
| Solve a problem | Engineers work together to solve complex problems. |
| Build a relationship | It’s important to build strong relationships in the workplace. |
| Reach a consensus | After hours of discussion, they finally reached a consensus. |
| Create a masterpiece | The artist spent years creating a masterpiece. |
| Develop a strategy | We need to develop a strategy for marketing our product. |
| Take a risk | Entrepreneurship often requires taking calculated risks. |
| Give an explanation | Can you give me an explanation for your absence? |
| Organize an event | The committee worked hard to organize a successful event. |
These collocations and example sentences can be helpful for improving your English language skills and preparing for the IELTS exam.
Phrasal Verbs
Here are 15 phrasal verb collocations with example sentences for IELTS preparation:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| Brush up on | She needs to brush up on her English before the exam. |
| Carry out | The scientists carried out a series of experiments. |
| Break down | The car broke down on the way to the interview. |
| Look forward to | I look forward to hearing from you soon. |
| Get by | Despite the challenges, she managed to get by. |
| Put off | Don’t put off studying until the last minute. |
| Turn up | He didn’t turn up for the meeting yesterday. |
| Bring up | She brought up an interesting point in the discussion. |
| Run out of | We ran out of time during the speaking test. |
| Set off | They set off on a trip around the world. |
| Call off | The event was called off due to bad weather. |
| Go over | Let’s go over the key points one more time. |
| Take up | She decided to take up a new hobby – painting. |
| Look up to | Many students look up to their teachers as role models. |
| Stand out | His impressive presentation really stood out. |
These phrasal verbs and example sentences can help you improve your vocabulary and language skills for the IELTS exam.
Idiomatic Expressions
Here are 20 idiomatic expressions and collocations with example sentences for IELTS preparation:
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| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| 1. Hit the nail on the head | She hit the nail on the head with her analysis of the problem. |
| 2. Break a leg | Good luck on your performance tonight – break a leg! |
| 3. Bite the bullet | I had to bite the bullet and tell him the truth. |
| 4. Piece of cake | The exam was a piece of cake; I finished it in no time. |
| 5. A penny for your thoughts | You seem lost in thought – a penny for your thoughts? |
| 6. Don’t cry over spilled milk | Don’t cry over spilled milk; it’s already done. |
| 7. Beat around the bush | Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really think. |
| 8. To kill two birds with one stone | Taking that course will allow you to kill two birds with one stone. |
| 9. It’s raining cats and dogs | We had to cancel the picnic because it was raining cats and dogs. |
| 10. Jump on the bandwagon | Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon of eco-friendly products. |
| 11. To be in hot water | He’s in hot water with his boss after missing the deadline. |
| 12. A piece of the pie | If you work hard, you’ll get a bigger piece of the pie. |
| 13. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket | Diversify your investments; don’t put all your eggs in one basket. |
| 14. On the same page | We need to get everyone on the same page for this project to succeed. |
| 15. The ball is in your court | I’ve done my part; now the ball is in your court to make a decision. |
| 16. Don’t judge a book by its cover | Don’t judge her by her appearance; she’s incredibly talented. |
| 17. To be on cloud nine | Winning the championship made her feel like she was on cloud nine. |
| 18. Break the ice | Playing a game can help break the ice at social gatherings. |
| 19. A blessing in disguise | Losing my job turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I found a better one. |
| 20. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | Let’s wait for the results before celebrating; don’t count your chickens before they hatch. |
These expressions and sentences should help you enhance your English language skills for the IELTS exam.
Compound Adjectives
Here 20 compound adjective collocations with example sentences for IELTS preparation:
| Collocations | Example Sentences |
| 1. Well-educated | She is a well-educated woman with multiple degrees. |
| 2. Open-minded | Being open-minded is essential for cultural tolerance. |
| 3. High-pitched | The high-pitched sound of the alarm startled everyone. |
| 4. Cold-hearted | His cold-hearted behavior made him unpopular at work. |
| 5. Deep-seated | The conflict had deep-seated roots in historical events. |
| 6. Fast-paced | Working in a fast-paced environment can be challenging. |
| 7. Narrow-minded | Narrow-minded individuals often resist change. |
| 8. Light-hearted | The movie had a light-hearted and humorous tone. |
| 9. Heavy-handed | His heavy-handed approach to management caused problems. |
| 10. Hardworking | She is known for her hardworking and dedicated nature. |
| 11. Self-confident | Self-confident people tend to perform better in interviews. |
| 12. Quick-witted | His quick-witted responses always entertain the group. |
| 13. Thick-skinned | In politics, you need to be thick-skinned to handle criticism. |
| 14. Free-spirited | Their free-spirited approach to life is inspiring. |
| 15. Red-headed | The red-headed girl stood out in the crowd. |
| 16. Two-faced | Nobody trusted him because he was two-faced. |
| 17. Open-ended | The open-ended discussion allowed for diverse opinions. |
| 18. Cold-blooded | The cold-blooded killer showed no remorse. |
| 19. Fast-growing | The tech industry is known for its fast-growing startups. |
| 20. High-tech | The high-tech gadgets have revolutionized our lives. |
These compound adjectives and example sentences can help you improve your English vocabulary and are useful for IELTS preparation.