A collocation is a group of words that are often used together because they sound natural, such as "fast car" or "quick look". However, while understandable, these phrases may not always be natural. There are fixed collocations where the words always go together, like "watch TV", and open collocations that can vary, like "stick to/keep to the rules". Learning collocations can help one speak in the most natural way by providing common phrases and alternative ways to express something.

1. What is a collocation?What is a collocation?

2. Group of words often used together
because they sound ‘natural’:
fast car / quick look
Understandable? probably. Natural?
no

3. Fixed / Open collocationsFixed / Open collocations
Fixed:
You must make an effort (not do!)
watch TV (not look!)
Take a photo
Open:
stick to / keep to the rules

4. Why learn collocations?Why learn collocations?
They can:
give you the most natural way to say sth:
smoking is strictly / strongly forbidden.
Which one?
give you alternative ways of saying sth
(repertoire):
It was very cold and very dark / It was
bitterly cold and pitch dark.