Collocations
A collocation is a pair or group of words that native speakers habitually use together. Heavy rain is normal English; strong rain is not, even though the meaning would be clear. Collocations are not governed by logic — they are governed by habit — which is why they must be learned as units.
Learning objectives
- Recognise the main types of collocation.
- Use make, do, take and pay with the right nouns.
- Choose the natural adjective for a given noun.
- Avoid word-for-word translation from your own language.
Types of collocation
| Type | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + noun | the verb that "goes with" the noun | make a decision, do homework, take a photo, pay attention |
| Adjective + noun | the usual descriptive pairing | heavy rain, strong coffee, deep sleep, close friend |
| Noun + noun | fixed compounds | traffic jam, job interview, birthday party |
| Verb + adverb | habitual intensity | work hard, drive carefully, know well |
| Adverb + adjective | degree pairings | highly likely, deeply concerned, fully aware |
| Verb + preposition | fixed dependent prepositions | depend on, listen to, apologise for, belong to |
| Adjective + preposition | fixed pairings | good at, interested in, afraid of, proud of |
Make, do, take and pay
| Verb | General idea | Common collocations |
|---|---|---|
| make | create or produce something | make a decision, make a mistake, make progress, make an effort, make a noise, make friends, make money, make a phone call |
| do | perform a task or activity | do homework, do the shopping, do the washing-up, do business, do research, do exercise, do your best, do a favour |
| take | receive, carry, or use time | take a photo, take a break, take a seat, take an exam, take medicine, take place, take care, take responsibility |
| pay | give money or attention | pay attention, pay a visit, pay a compliment, pay the bill, pay a fine, pay respect |
Some pairs are worth memorising because they are easy to confuse: make a mistake (not do a mistake), do an exercise (not make an exercise), take an exam (not write an exam in most varieties), pay attention (not give attention).
Strong adjective pairings
| Noun | Natural adjective | Unnatural |
|---|---|---|
| rain | heavy rain | strong rain |
| coffee | strong coffee | heavy coffee |
| traffic | heavy traffic | big traffic |
| friend | close friend | near friend |
| sleep | deep sleep | strong sleep |
| chance | good chance | big chance |
| mistake | serious mistake | strong mistake |
| wind | strong wind | heavy wind |
Dependent prepositions
| Word | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| depend | on | It depends on the weather. |
| listen | to | I listen to music. |
| interested | in | She's interested in history. |
| good | at | He's good at maths. |
| afraid | of | I'm afraid of heights. |
| apologise | for | He apologised for the delay. |
| arrive | at / in | arrive at the station, arrive in London |
| married | to | She's married to a doctor. |
Why translation causes errors
Every language pairs words differently. A learner who translates directly produces grammatically correct but unnatural English:
| Translated | Natural English |
|---|---|
| make a photo | take a photo |
| do a mistake | make a mistake |
| say a lie | tell a lie |
| put a question | ask a question |
| give an exam | take an exam |
| make sport | do sport / play sport |
| strong rain | heavy rain |
| discuss about | discuss (no preposition) |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Correct |
|---|---|
| I made my homework. | I did my homework. |
| She did a big mistake. | She made a big mistake. |
| Please give attention. | Please pay attention. |
| I depend of you. | I depend on you. |
| We discussed about the plan. | We discussed the plan. |
| He is married with a teacher. | He is married to a teacher. |
Learning tips
- Record vocabulary in pairs, never alone: write make a decision, not decision.
- Keep four lists — make, do, take, pay — and add to them as you read.
- When you learn an adjective or a verb, learn its preposition at the same time.
- If a phrase sounds odd to you in English, check it; it is often a translation from your first language.
Summary checklist
- Is this the verb English actually uses with this noun?
- Is the adjective the natural partner for this noun?
- Is the preposition the fixed one?
- Am I translating an image from my own language?
Shpjegim në gjuhën shqipe
Rregulli i anglishtes, i shpjeguar në shqip
Një collocation është një çift ose grup fjalësh që folësit amtarë i përdorin zakonisht bashkë. Heavy rain është anglishte e natyrshme; strong rain jo, edhe pse kuptimi do të merrej vesh.
Këto bashkëlidhje nuk drejtohen nga logjika, por nga zakoni. Prandaj ato nuk mund të nxirren me arsyetim: duhen mësuar si njësi.
Llojet kryesore janë: folje + emër (make a decision), mbiemër + emër (heavy traffic), emër + emër (traffic jam), folje + ndajfolje (work hard), ndajfolje + mbiemër (highly likely) dhe fjalë + parafjalë e ngulitur (depend on, good at).
Grupi më i vështirë është ai i katër foljeve make, do, take dhe pay, të cilat ndajnë midis tyre qindra emra pa asnjë rregull të qartë: make a mistake, do homework, take a photo, pay attention.
Ekuivalenti në gjuhën shqipe
Edhe shqipja i ka bashkëlidhjet e veta: marr një vendim, bëj një gabim, jap provim, kam të drejtë. Dukuria pra është e njohur. Problemi është se foljet nuk përkojnë midis dy gjuhëve.
| Shqip | Anglisht e saktë | Gabimi tipik |
|---|---|---|
| bëj një gabim | make a mistake | do a mistake |
| bëj detyrat | do homework | make homework |
| bëj një fotografi | take a photo | make a photo |
| marr një vendim | make a decision | take a decision |
| jap provim | take an exam | give an exam |
| bëj një pyetje | ask a question | make a question |
| kushtoj vëmendje | pay attention | give attention |
| tregoj një gënjeshtër | tell a lie | say a lie |
| shi i rrëmbyeshëm | heavy rain | strong rain |
| kafe e fortë | strong coffee | heavy coffee |
Vini re çiftin e fundit: shqipja thotë i fortë për kafenë dhe i rrëmbyeshëm për shiun; anglishtja i ndan si strong dhe heavy. Kush përkthen drejtpërdrejt, gabon në njërin nga të dyja.
Parafjalët e ngulitura
| Anglisht | Shqip | Kujdes |
|---|---|---|
| depend on | varet nga | jo depend from |
| listen to | dëgjoj | shqipja nuk ka parafjalë |
| married to | i martuar me | jo married with |
| good at | i mirë në | jo good in |
| discuss | diskutoj për | anglishtja nuk merr parafjalë |
Ku ndryshojnë dy gjuhët
- Folja mbajtëse. Shqipja përdor kryesisht bëj dhe marr; anglishtja i shpërndan të njëjtat kuptime midis make, do, take dhe pay.
- Parafjala. Ka raste ku shqipja e kërkon e anglishtja jo (discuss), dhe raste ku ndodh e kundërta (listen to).
- Mbiemri. Çiftet e forcës dhe të sasisë ndahen ndryshe në të dyja gjuhët.
Gabime të zakonshme të folësve të shqipes
| Gabimi | E saktë | Pse |
|---|---|---|
| I made my homework. | I did my homework. | bashkëlidhje e ngulitur |
| She did a big mistake. | She made a big mistake. | po ashtu |
| We discussed about the plan. | We discussed the plan. | pa parafjalë |
| He is married with a teacher. | ... married to a teacher. | parafjalë e ngulitur |
| strong rain | heavy rain | mbiemri i duhur |
