Frequent Collocation

• English Language and Culture •

2019
Aixa Quiroga

Activities:
Write the meanings of the rest of the collocations, and think about examples.

Collocations

Frequent collocation Meaning Example

Have an effect: to have a particular A week in the countryside will do

Do good
effect on something or someone you good (=make you feel better)

•Harm: Damage, injury, or trouble

caused by someone’s actions or by
an event. Do (something) harm. • It wouldn't do you any harm to get
Do harm
•Spoken used to suggest that some experience first.
someone should do something that
may be helpful or useful to them.

•To try as hard as you can to do

As long as you do your best, we’ll
Do your best something.
be happy.
•Do your best to do something.

•Something that you do in order to

help them or be kind to them. Do
°Could you do me a favour?
somebody a favour.
Do a favour •Used when you are annoyed
°Did you like it? Do me a favour.
because someone has asked a silly
question or done something to upset
people. Do me/us a favour.

The activity of making money by

producing or buying and selling A lot of firms are keen to do
Do business
goods, or providing services. Do business in Japan.
business.

Something that you have to do

Do your duty because it is morally or legally I felt I had done my duty by voting.
right.
 Do sport An activity that people do. I did a lot of sport at school.

Exercise: Physical activities that

Most people need to do more
Do exercise you do in order to stay healthy and
exercise.
become stronger.

To do something that improves your

Do your hair appearance or someone else’s • I paint her face and do her hair.
appearance

Do the room

Mph: used to describe the speed

Do 80 mph of something, especially a Can you do 80 mph in your car?
vehicle or the wind.

To talk about something a lot, so Modern men who make a noise

Make a noise that people will notice it – used about the fact that they know
to show disapproval. how to look good.

When you speak to someone on I need to make a quick phone

Make a phone call
the telephone. call

Decision:a choice or judgment

I want to think about it a bit
Make a decision that you make after a period of
longer before I make a decision.
discussion or thought.

Effort:
•The physical or mental energy
that is needed to do something.
She made an effort to change the
Make an effort •An attempt to do something,
subject of the conversation.
especially when this involves a
lot of hard work or
determination.

Mistake: Something that has

been done in the wrong way, or The lab must have made a
Make a mistake
an opinion or statement that is mistake – this can’t be right.
incorrect.

An occasion when you travel

I still use my car, but now I make
Make a journey from one place to another,
fewer journeys.
especially over a long distance.

Arrangement: Plans and You are advised to make travel

Make arrangement preparations that you must make arrangements well in advance.
so that something can happen.

1
 Attempt: an act of trying to do
She made several attempts to
Make an attempt something, especially something
escape.
difficult.

Money: what you earn by

working and can use to buy
make money (=make a profit)
things. Money can be in the
Make money The farm was beginning to make
form of notes and coins or
money at last
cheques, and can be kept in a
bank.

Money that you gain by selling

We are in business to make a
Make a profit things or doing business, after
profit.
your costs have been paid.

Love: to have a strong feeling of

Make love affectionfor someone, combined
withsexual attraction.

Peace: a situation in which there

Hardliners criticized the Israeli
is no war or fighting.
Make peace prime minister for trying to
Make peace (with somebody):
make peace with the
Agree to stop fighting.
Palestinians.

Make war: to start and continue

Their aim was to destroy the
Make war a war.
country’s capacity to wage war.

Make a fire

Make the bed