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English Collocations

Master essential C1-C2 collocations — natural word combinations that native speakers use. Perfect for IELTS Band 7+, TOEFL, and achieving true fluency in English.

Native Audio 5 Core Collocations Natural Fluency
5
key collocations
+ 20 examples

What are Collocations?

Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Using correct collocations makes your speech and writing sound more fluent and native-like. For example, we say "make a decision" not "do a decision", and "heavy rain" not "strong rain".

Essential Collocations · Listen & Learn

Click the teal audio button to hear native pronunciation. Each collocation includes meaning, examples, and common usage.

make a decision

/meɪk ə dɪˈsɪʒ.ən/

🔹 Meaning: to choose between alternatives; to reach a conclusion after consideration.

Examples:

  • "We need to make a decision about the merger by Friday."
  • "It's difficult to make a decision without all the facts."
  • "The board will make a decision after reviewing the proposal."
common pairs: reach a decision, come to a decision opposite: avoid making a decision

take responsibility

/teɪk rɪˌspɒn.sɪˈbɪl.ə.ti/

🔹 Meaning: to accept accountability for something; to acknowledge one's role in a situation.

Examples:

  • "A good leader must take responsibility for their team's performance."
  • "He refused to take responsibility for the project's failure."
  • "It's time to take responsibility for your actions."
common pairs: assume responsibility, accept responsibility opposite: shift responsibility, avoid responsibility

heavy rain

/ˈhev.i reɪn/

🔹 Meaning: intense or abundant rainfall; a large amount of rain falling.

Examples:

  • "The forecast predicts heavy rain throughout the weekend."
  • "Heavy rain caused flooding in several regions."
  • "We had to cancel the picnic due to heavy rain."
common pairs: torrential rain, pouring rain opposite: light rain, drizzle

strong argument

/strɒŋ ˈɑːɡ.jə.mənt/

🔹 Meaning: a convincing, persuasive, or well-supported line of reasoning.

Examples:

  • "The lawyer presented a strong argument in favor of the defendant."
  • "She made a strong argument for investing in renewable energy."
  • "His strong argument convinced the committee to change their decision."
common pairs: compelling argument, persuasive argument opposite: weak argument, flawed argument

deep sleep

/diːp sliːp/

🔹 Meaning: a state of restful, uninterrupted sleep from which it is difficult to wake.

Examples:

  • "After the long hike, I fell into a deep sleep immediately."
  • "Getting enough deep sleep is essential for brain health."
  • "The baby was in a deep sleep and didn't wake up during the noise."
common pairs: sound sleep, restful sleep opposite: light sleep, disturbed sleep

Collocations Quiz

Test your understanding of these essential C1-C2 collocations.

💡 Pro Tip: Learn Collocations as Chunks

Instead of learning individual words, learn collocations as complete units. This helps you speak more naturally and avoid common errors like "do a decision" instead of "make a decision".

⚠️ Common Collocation Errors

❌ "do a mistake" → ✅ "make a mistake"
❌ "strong rain" → ✅ "heavy rain"
❌ "say the truth" → ✅ "tell the truth"

Bonus: Additional C1-C2 Collocations

come to a conclusion

to reach a final decision or opinion

"The jury came to a conclusion after three days."

pay attention

to listen or watch carefully

"Students must pay attention during the lecture."

raise awareness

to increase knowledge about an issue

"The campaign raised awareness about climate change."

bitterly cold

extremely cold weather

"It was bitterly cold in the mountains."

🔊 Click any teal audio button to hear collocation pronunciation. MP3 files must be placed inside public/audios/Collocations/ as 1.mp3 ... 5.mp3.