English collocations are fixed expressions that consist of two or more words that are commonly used together. These words can be adjectives, nouns, verbs, or adverbs, and they often convey a specific meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the individual words. For example, "strong coffee" is a collocation, whereas "powerful coffee" is not.
| Incorrect (Direct Translation) | Correct (Natural Collocation) | | --- | --- | | I did a cake. | I a cake. | | She told him a secret. (Correct) | She told a lie? No: She told the truth. / She told a lie. | | Let's do a party. | Let's have a party. | | I need a quick sleep. | I need a quick nap . | english collocations in use basic pdf