Collocations

Collocations

Welcome to the chapter on Collocations for Class 8. In this chapter, you will learn what collocations are, why they are important in English, and how to use them correctly in sentences. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to recognize and use common collocations to make your English sound more natural!

Introduction

Collocations are pairs or groups of words that often go together in English. Using collocations helps you speak and write more fluently and naturally.

What are Collocations?

Collocations are words that are commonly used together. For example, we say "make a decision" (not "do a decision") and "strong coffee" (not "powerful coffee").

• Do homework
• Take a break
• Heavy rain
• Fast food
• Catch a cold

Types of Collocations

• Verb + Noun: make a mistake, give advice
• Adjective + Noun: strong tea, big decision
• Noun + Noun: a bus stop, a data analysis
• Verb + Adverb: deeply regret, strongly recommend
• Adverb + Adjective: highly successful, fully aware

Why Use Collocations?

• They make your English sound natural.
• They help you understand native speakers.
• They improve your writing and speaking skills.

Common Collocations

• Make progress
• Pay attention
• Break the rules
• Save time
• Go missing

Fun Activity: Collocation Match!

Match the words to make correct collocations. Example: "do" + "homework", "take" + "a break", "heavy" + "rain".

Summary

• Collocations are words that go together naturally.
• Using collocations helps you sound fluent.
• Practice common collocations to improve your English.

Practice Questions

1. Choose the correct collocation: (a) do a mistake (b) make a mistake
2. Fill in the blank: She always _______ attention in class.
3. Which is correct: (a) strong tea (b) powerful tea
4. Write a sentence using the collocation "take a break".
5. Match: (a) catch _______ (b) save _______ (c) break _______ (options: a cold, time, the rules)

Challenge Yourself

• List five collocations you use every day.
• Write a short paragraph using at least three collocations.

Did You Know?

• Native speakers use hundreds of collocations without thinking!
• Learning collocations helps you avoid common mistakes in English.

Glossary

• Collocation: Words that are often used together in English.
• Fluent: Speaking or writing smoothly and naturally.
• Native speaker: A person who speaks a language as their first language.

Answers to Practice Questions

1. make a mistake
2. pays
3. strong tea
4. (Example: I am tired. I want to take a break.)
5. a) catch a cold, b) save time, c) break the rules

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Practice collocations to make your English sound natural and fluent!