Collocations are word combinations that native speakers use naturally — but they're one of the trickiest aspects of English for Turkish learners. Let's break down the most common mistakes and how to fix them.
What Exactly Are Collocations?
A collocation is a pair or group of words that habitually go together. For instance, we say "make a decision" not "do a decision," even though both "make" and "do" can mean similar things in other contexts.
The Make vs. Do Problem
This is by far the most common collocation error among Turkish students. Here's a quick guide:
- Make: make a mistake, make progress, make an effort, make a suggestion
- Do: do homework, do research, do damage, do business
Pro tip: "Make" is generally used for creating or producing something, while "do" is used for activities and tasks.
Heavy vs. Strong
We say "heavy rain" not "strong rain," but "strong wind" not "heavy wind." These don't follow a logical pattern — they just need to be memorized.
Take, Have, and Give
These three verbs create thousands of collocations:
- Take: take a break, take notes, take into account
- Have: have a look, have an impact, have difficulty
- Give: give advice, give priority, give rise to
YDT-Specific Collocations
Certain collocations appear frequently in YDT passages. Pay special attention to these academic collocations:
- carry out research / an experiment
- draw a conclusion / attention
- pose a threat / challenge
- reach an agreement / consensus
How to Improve
The best way to learn collocations is through extensive reading. When you encounter a new word, don't just note its meaning — note the words around it. Over time, correct collocations will start to "sound right" to you. Keep practicing! 📚