Types of Collocations

Types of Collocations

Collocations can take on various structures and are formed by mixing elements such as verbs, nouns, adjectives, and so on. The following are some of the most common types:

• Adverb with an adjective
• Adjective with a noun
• Noun with another noun
• Verb with a noun
• Verb with an expression together with a preposition
• Verb + adverb
• Noun with a preposition
• Adjective with a preposition
• Adverb + verb
• Adverb with another adverb

Sample Collocations

There are many distinct forms of collocations to choose from. It’s possible to use an adjective and an adverb, a noun and a noun, a verb and a noun, and so on. The seven primary forms of collocations are broken down and illustrated with examples below.

1. Adverb + Adjective

• It was totally idiotic to invade that nation.
• We walked inside a lavishly adorned space.
• Are you completely aware of the effects of what you did?

2. Adjective + Noun

• My mom and I had a joint account.
• One of the major problems in the world right now is overpopulation.
• There was no hint that he was in pain not until the doctor told him that he had acquired a lot of internal injuries.

3. Noun + Noun

• Child care is very important, and parents should learn more about it.
• At first, her eyes had a sense of pride before they vanished upon realizing what happened was wrong.
• People nowadays need more core values to understand such a situation.

4. Verb + Noun

• She would like to go on a date with him.
• The car is broken, so they must go on foot to arrive on time for the party.
• My sister needs to make the bed every day before eating breakfast.

5. Verb + Expression with Preposition

• We were forced to head back home because we were out of cash.
• Their eyes are filled with horror when they see the man run out of the house with bloodied hands.
• People nowadays give unsolicited opinions, and they should apologize for that.

6. Verb + Adverb

• They didn’t need to go that far as accusing him, yet they did.
• The incident caused her to cry hysterically.
• I wanted her to guess it correctly, so I made the riddle easier.

7. Noun + Preposition

• He has the advantage of speaking English fluently.
• We apologize for the delay in answering your letter.
• She has no concern with my question.

8. Adjective + Preposition

• You don’t sound very enthusiastic about the idea.
• The smell is very familiar to everyone who lives near a bakery.
• The kids are busy with their homework.

9. Adverb + Verb

• Its people and its culture are deeply rooted in the earth.
• I quite agree with your answer.
• I strongly suggest you read this book.

10. Adverb + Adverb

• The school is dead ahead about two miles from here.
• We made it to the airport on time, but only just.
• I’m sorry, but I can’t talk right now.