Collocation Words Examples with Sentences

Collocation words are an important part of natural English.

Native speakers use them every day without thinking.

Learning collocations helps you speak and write English more fluently and confidently.

In this blog post, you will learn common collocation words examples with sentences.

These examples will help English learners understand how words naturally go together in real-life communication.

Collocations with “Make”

Make a decision

Meaning: Decide something.

Example: She made a decision to move abroad.

Make progress

Meaning: Improve or move forward.

Example: He’s making progress in learning French.

Make an effort

Meaning: Try hard to do something.

Example: You should make an effort to arrive on time.

Make a mistake

Meaning: Do something wrong.

Example: We all make mistakes; it’s okay.

Make a difference

Meaning: Have an important effect.

Example: Helping others can make a difference in their lives.

Make a promise

Meaning: Commit to doing something.

Example: He made a promise to never lie again.

Make a complaint

Meaning: Officially express dissatisfaction.

Example: You can make a complaint to the manager.

Make an impression

Meaning: Leave a strong effect on someone.

Example: Her speech made a great impression on everyone.

Make sense

Meaning: Be logical or understandable.

Example: This idea doesn’t make sense to me.

Make a suggestion

Meaning: Offer an idea or proposal.

Example: May I make a suggestion about this project?

Collocations with “Take”

Take responsibility

Meaning: Accept that you are in charge of something.

Example: She took responsibility for the team’s failure.

Take a risk

Meaning: Do something that might fail.

Example: Sometimes you need to take a risk to succeed.

Take action

Meaning: Do something to deal with a problem.

Example: It’s time to take action against climate change.

Take advantage of

Meaning: Use a situation for your benefit.

Example: Let’s take advantage of the sunny weather and go to the beach.

Take care of

Meaning: Look after something or someone.

Example: I’ll take care of your plants while you’re away.

Take a break

Meaning: Pause from work or activity.

Example: Let’s take a break and have some coffee.

Take part in

Meaning: Join or participate.

Example: She took part in the dance competition.

Take notes

Meaning: Write down important information.

Example: Please take notes during the lecture.

Take pride in

Meaning: Feel proud of something.

Example: He takes pride in his cooking skills.

Take it seriously

Meaning: Treat something as important.

Example: You need to take this job seriously.

Collocations with “Have”

Have a conversation

Meaning: Talk with someone.

Example: We had a long conversation about our future plans.

Have a good time

Meaning: Enjoy yourself.

Example: Did you have a good time at the party?

Have a problem

Meaning: Face a difficulty.

Example: I’m having a problem with my laptop.

Have an opportunity

Meaning: Get a chance.

Example: I had an opportunity to work abroad.

Have an impact on

Meaning: Affect something or someone.

Example: This decision will have a big impact on the economy.

Have a habit of

Meaning: Regularly do something.

Example: He has a habit of arriving late.

Have a laugh

Meaning: Enjoy a funny moment.

Example: We had a good laugh during the meeting.

Have second thoughts

Meaning: Doubt your earlier decision.

Example: I’m having second thoughts about this job offer.

Have access to

Meaning: Be able to use or enter something.

Example: Students have access to free online resources.

Have patience

Meaning: Stay calm when waiting or dealing with problems.

Example: You need to have patience with small children.

Collocations with “Do”

Do homework

Meaning: Complete schoolwork at home.

Example: He always does his homework after dinner.

Do a favor

Meaning: Help someone.

Example: Can you do me a favor and lend me your book?

Do your best

Meaning: Try as hard as you can.

Example: Just do your best in the exam.

Do research

Meaning: Investigate or study something.

Example: She’s doing research on renewable energy.

Do the dishes

Meaning: Wash the plates, glasses, etc.

Example: I’ll do the dishes after dinner.

Do damage

Meaning: Cause harm.

Example: The storm did a lot of damage to the houses.

Do business

Meaning: Engage in commerce or trade.

Example: We’ve been doing business with them for years.

Do well

Meaning: Perform successfully.

Example: She’s doing well in her new job.

Do harm

Meaning: Cause injury or problems.

Example: Smoking can do a lot of harm to your health.

Do a job

Meaning: Complete a task or work.

Example: He did a fantastic job on the presentation.

Miscellaneous Collocations

Break the ice

Meaning: Make people feel more comfortable.

Example: The host told a joke to break the ice.

Catch attention

Meaning: Make people notice you.

Example: Her colorful dress caught everyone’s attention.

Give advice

Meaning: Offer suggestions.

Example: My teacher gave me advice on my career.

Pay attention

Meaning: Focus on something.

Example: Please pay attention to the instructions.

Save time

Meaning: Use less time for something.

Example: Online shopping saves time.

Set a goal

Meaning: Decide on something you want to achieve.

Example: You should set a goal to exercise daily.

Keep a promise

Meaning: Do what you said you would do.

Example: Always keep your promises to others.

Lose control

Meaning: Be unable to manage something.

Example: He lost control of his emotions during the argument.

Reach an agreement

Meaning: Come to a mutual decision.

Example: After long talks, they reached an agreement.

Run a business

Meaning: Manage a company or shop.

Example: She runs a small bakery in the city.

Conclusion:

Collocation words make your English sound more natural and correct.

When you use the right word combinations, your speaking and writing improve automatically.

By practicing collocations regularly, you can avoid common mistakes and communicate like a native speaker.

Keep revising these collocation word examples and try to use them in daily conversations and writing.