Section 2Lesson 1~7 min read
Everyday Speaking Collocations: Sound Natural
Introduction
Collocations are combinations of words that frequently appear together, creating a natural and fluent expression in English. Mastering collocations is crucial for achieving a high score on the CELPIP exam, as they demonstrate your ability to use the language naturally and effectively. This lesson focuses on everyday speaking collocations that will help you sound more like a native speaker and improve your CELPIP speaking score.
| # | Collocation | Meaning | CELPIP Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | make a decision | to decide | "I would make a decision based on..." |
| 2 | take responsibility | to accept blame or praise | "I take responsibility for my actions." |
| 3 | break the news | to inform someone of something | "I had to break the news to my friend about..." |
| 4 | catch a cold | to become ill with a cold | "I caught a cold last week and..." |
| 5 | save time | to do something more quickly | "Using this method will save time during..." |
| 6 | pay attention | to focus on something | "It's important to pay attention to the details when..." |
| 7 | make an effort | to try hard | "I always make an effort to participate in..." |
| 8 | run a business | to manage a business | "Running a business requires..." |
| 9 | give a presentation | to present information | "I had to give a presentation on..." |
| 10 | have a discussion | to talk about something | "We need to have a discussion about..." |
| 11 | take a break | to stop working temporarily | "After working for hours, I decided to take a break." |
| 12 | make a mistake | to do something incorrectly | "Everyone makes mistakes, but it's important to..." |
| 13 | give advice | to offer suggestions | "I often give advice to my friends about..." |
| 14 | have an impact | to affect something | "The new policy will have an impact on..." |
| 15 | keep a promise | to do what you said you would | "It's crucial to keep a promise, especially when..." |
| 16 | make a difference | to have an effect | "Volunteering can really make a difference in..." |
| 17 | take advantage | to use something beneficial | "You should take advantage of the resources available..." |
| 18 | make progress | to advance or improve | "I am making progress in my language learning by..." |
| 19 | get permission | to obtain consent | "I need to get permission before I can..." |
| 20 | set a goal | to decide on an aim | "Setting a goal is the first step towards..." |
| 21 | keep in mind | to remember | "Keep in mind that the deadline is..." |
| 22 | come to an agreement | to reach a consensus | "We finally came to an agreement after..." |
| 23 | make an impression | to affect someone’s opinion | "First impressions are important, so I always try to make a good impression." |
| 24 | have a chance | to have an opportunity | "I had a chance to visit..." |
| 25 | take action | to do something | "It's time to take action and..." |
| 26 | give permission | to allow | "My boss gave me permission to..." |
| 27 | have a look | to examine | "Can you have a look at this report?" |
| 28 | make a complaint | to express dissatisfaction | "I need to make a complaint about..." |
| 29 | take part | to participate | "I took part in the community event by..." |
| 30 | get ready | to prepare | "I need to get ready for the meeting by..." |
| 31 | come to a conclusion | to decide | "After reviewing the data, we came to the conclusion that..." |
| 32 | make a call | to phone someone | "I need to make a call to confirm the appointment." |
| 33 | have a conversation | to talk with someone | "We had a conversation about the upcoming project." |
| 34 | get in touch | to contact | "I will get in touch with you once I have more information." |
| 35 | make an appointment | to schedule a meeting | "I made an appointment with the consultant for..." |
| 36 | take a chance | to try something risky | "Sometimes you have to take a chance to succeed." |
| 37 | give a hand | to help | "Could you give me a hand with this task?" |
| 38 | have a good time | to enjoy oneself | "I hope you have a good time at the event." |
| 39 | make a suggestion | to propose an idea | "May I make a suggestion regarding..." |
| 40 | take a look | to examine or inspect | "Let's take a look at the report to understand..." |
Grouped by Usage
For Writing Task 1 Emails
• make a suggestion
• give advice
• make a complaint
• give permission
• make an appointment
For Speaking Tasks
• make a decision
• take responsibility
• give a presentation
• have a discussion
• make an effort
For Describing Opinions
• have an impact
• make a difference
• take advantage
• keep in mind
• come to a conclusion
Example Sentences
"In the CELPIP Speaking Task, you might say: 'I would make a decision based on the available data to ensure the best outcome.'"
"During the Writing Task 1, you could write: 'I would like to make a suggestion to improve the service quality.'"
"In a Speaking Task response, you might mention: 'It's important to pay attention to the client's needs to provide the best service.'"
"For a Writing Task 1 email, you might write: 'I am writing to make a complaint about the recent service I received.'"
💡 Pro Tip:
Use collocations to add fluency and naturalness to your speech. They help convey your ideas more clearly and can make your responses sound more polished and professional.
Common Mistakes
• Wrong: Do a decision
Right: Make a decision
• Wrong: Take a suggestion
Right: Make a suggestion
• Wrong: Give a look
Right: Have a look
• Wrong: Do a mistake
Right: Make a mistake
Remember, practicing these collocations in context will help you retain them better and use them effectively during your CELPIP exam.
🎯 Key Takeaways
✓Collocations are word combinations that frequently appear together, helping to make your English sound more natural and fluent.
✓Using collocations effectively in the CELPIP exam can enhance your speaking and writing scores by demonstrating a natural use of English.
✓Common mistakes with collocations include using incorrect verbs, such as 'do a decision' instead of 'make a decision'.
✓Practicing collocations in context improves retention and effective usage during the exam.
📝 Quick Quiz
1. Which of the following is the correct collocation to use when you want to express accepting blame or praise?
2. If you want to express the idea of examining something, which collocation would you use?
3. What is the correct collocation to use when you want to express the idea of deciding on an aim?