So, what is collocation?
Collocation is a word and concept that anyone learning English as a foreign language should, in my opinion, know about. The sooner you become familiar with collocation and make use of it in your learning, the quicker your English will improve.
Imagine a phrase like: It rained heavily last night.
And: It rained strongly last night.
Which sounds better to you?
I hope you chose the first one. Do you know why? The answer is that it just sounds better and that is reason enough. There are no grammar rules here. I would understand what the speaker meant in the second sentence, but it just doesn’t sound right.
Collocations boil down to combining sets of words - 2, 3, 4, or sometimes more, to create a chunk of language that sounds natural. Think about how we learn our mother tongue: not by learning endless lists of single words, but by having stories read to us, which repeat phrases over and over or nursery rhymes that contain word groups. This means that as small children we can effortlessly pick up these chunks of language.
But when we are older and learn a second or further languages, it is easy to fall into the trap of compiling a vocabulary notebook with random lists of single words.
Train yourself, particularly when you are reading, to notice chunks of language or words which just seem to be hanging out together and look like good mates, as in ‘heavy rain’. Remember English is very much about lexis (or words) and not grammar. It is an incredibly lexically rich language, so use collocation as a starting point rather than over-concerning yourself with grammar (although it has its place too).
So let’s practice. Here is a BBC News text about Christmas traditions. Read through once and then read it a second time to find and highlight some collocations.
Some Christmas Traditions
BBC News
Beer was once a popular present for young boys
The tradition of Christmas gift-giving seriously took off during the Victorian era. Whereas before presents were the preserve of the privileged, in the 19th century, everyone got in on the act. The most popular gift between Victorian adults was fruit. They also gave each other books, sparking a surge in seasonal publishing from authors keen to increase their sales.
For children, the rise of mass production meant that toys as Christmas gifts were now marketed to families of all levels, not just the wealthy. Alarmingly, in the early 19th century, beer was also a popular present for young boys. Gifts would be put in stockings, left under the tree or placed by the fire, but weren’t wrapped in paper until the 1870s and 1880s.
Our Christmas tree tradition came from Germany
Christmas trees became incredibly popular during the Victorian era and are often associated with Prince Albert, who enthusiastically embraced the tradition. However, the idea actually first came to Britain from Germany with Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, who hung baubles and gifts on a yew tree. One thing the Victorians did give us is the practice of putting a star or an angel on the top of the tree. People in the 19th century also took to decorating their houses with foliage such as holly and ivy. This may have been a reaction to the industrial revolution, which had pushed millions of people away from the countryside and into urban living.
Queen Victoria’s Christmas dinner was sent to the Isle of Wight by train and royal yacht
The royal family’s festive feast was as lavish as you’d expect, including beef, a boar’s head, turkey, goose, plum pudding and mince pies, all served on gold plates. Oddly though, the food was all cooked in Windsor before being transported for three hours by special train and yacht to Osborne House – Queen Victoria’s holiday home on the Isle of Wight. Whether it was still hot when it reached them, we don’t know.
The idea of being kind to others at Christmas was very important to the Victorians. With millions of people living in poverty in major cities, temporary kitchens sprung up to offer food and cheer to the poor and homeless. In London in 1851, volunteers took over Leicester Square, decorating it with flags, flowers and festive lights. They set up a Christmas kitchen that dished out food including roast beef and rabbit pies, goose, potatoes, bread, biscuits, chestnuts, tea and coffee. It fed 22,000 people and got through 5,000lbs of plum pudding.
I have highlighted my suggestions (remember you may have some that I didn’t include. There are no right or wrong answers; some words sit more commonly together):
Beer was once a popular present for young boys
The tradition of Christmas gift-giving seriously took off during the Victorian era. Whereas before presents were the preserve of the privileged, in the 19th century, everyone got in on the act. The most popular gift between Victorian adults was fruit. They also gave each other books, sparking a surge in seasonal publishing from authors keen to increase their sales.
For children, the rise of mass production meant that toys as Christmas gifts were now marketed to families of all levels, not just the wealthy. Alarmingly, in the early 19th century, beer was also a popular present for young boys. Gifts would be put in stockings, left under the tree or placed by the fire, but weren’t wrapped in paper until the 1870s and 1880s.
Our Christmas tree tradition came from Germany
Christmas trees became incredibly popular during the Victorian era and are often associated with Prince Albert, who enthusiastically embraced the tradition. However, the idea actually first came to Britain from Germany with Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, who hung baubles and gifts on a yew tree. One thing the Victorians did give us is the practice of putting a star or an angel on the top of the tree. People in the 19th century also took to decorating their houses with foliage such as holly and ivy. This may have been a reaction to the industrial revolution, which had pushed millions of people away from the countryside and into urban living.
Queen Victoria’s Christmas dinner was sent to the Isle of Wight by train and royal yacht
The royal family’s festive feast was as lavish as you’d expect, including beef, a boar’s head, turkey, goose, plum pudding and mince pies, all served on gold plates. Oddly though, the food was all cooked in Windsor before being transported for three hours by special train and yacht to Osborne House – Queen Victoria’s holiday home on the Isle of Wight. Whether it was still hot when it reached them, we don’t know.
The idea of being kind to others at Christmas was very important to the Victorians. With millions of people living in poverty in major cities, temporary kitchens sprung up to offer food and cheer to the poor and homeless. In London in 1851, volunteers took over Leicester Square, decorating it with flags, flowers and festive lights. They set up a Christmas kitchen that dished out food including roast beef and rabbit pies, goose, potatoes, bread, biscuits, chestnuts, tea and coffee. It fed 22,000 people and got through 5,000lbs of plum pudding.
Please get in touch if you would like some more help learning vocabulary.