A collocation is a pair of words that naturally go together. English chooses one verb for each noun. You make a decision (= choose between options), not "do" one. You also make progress, which means to slowly get better at something or move closer to a goal, and you make an appointment when you book a time to see someone. Learn each pair as one unit.
Verbs that partner with nouns: make
make a decision /meɪk ə dɪˈsɪʒən/ — Amina made a decision after reading both proposals.
make progress /meɪk ˈprɑɡrɛs/ — Mei made progress in pronunciation after daily practice.
Not ""She did a decision after the meeting."" — say ""She made a decision after the meeting."". Decisions go with make, not "do." The verb is fixed by the noun.
Try it: The team needs to ___ before Friday, because they cannot keep delaying the choice. (make a decision / do a decision / have a decision) Answer: make a decision — The natural English collocation is make a decision. "Do a decision" uses the wrong verb, and "have a decision" is not standard for choosing something. The noun decision fixes the verb as make.
More verb partners: take, do
Different nouns pick different verbs. You take a break (a rest) and do your homework (a task). You pay attention to something, which means to concentrate on it and listen or watch carefully. Using the wrong verb sounds unnatural, even when the meaning is clear.
take a break /teɪk ə breɪk/ — Diego took a break after two hours of writing.
do homework /duː ˈhoʊmwɜːrk/ — Lani did her homework before dinner.
pay attention to /peɪ əˈtɛnʃən tuː/ — Students should pay attention to the instructions.
Try it: After two hours of studying, Diego wanted to rest for ten minutes. He decided to ___. (take a break / make a break / do a break) Answer: take a break — The fixed collocation is take a break. "Make a break" means to escape suddenly, which is not what Diego is doing, and "do a break" is not natural English. A short rest goes with take.
Adjectives that partner with nouns
Adjectives collocate too. English says heavy traffic and strong coffee, not "big traffic" or "powerful coffee." The adjective is fixed to the noun.
heavy traffic /ˈhɛvi ˈtræfɪk/ — There was heavy traffic near the station this morning.
strong coffee /strɔːŋ ˈkɔːfi/ — Wei ordered strong coffee at the cafe.
Not ""There was big traffic this morning."" — say ""There was heavy traffic this morning."". Traffic collocates with heavy. English fixes the adjective, not just the meaning.
Try it: Wei likes coffee with a powerful taste. He orders ___. (strong coffee / hard coffee / big coffee) Answer: strong coffee — The collocation is strong coffee. "Hard" describes a solid texture, and "big" describes size, so neither fits taste. English pairs a powerful-tasting drink with the adjective strong.
More fixed partners
The partner word is fixed by the noun, even when another word seems to fit the meaning. A close relationship is one where people are emotionally near, whatever the distance between them. A good chance means something is likely to happen, not that the chance is pleasant, and English uses good for progress too, so a team that improves quickly makes good progress. Pouring rain is very heavy rain, from the verb pour.
close relationship /kloʊs rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/ — Lani has a close relationship with her older brother.
good chance /ɡʊd tʃæns/ — Diego has a good chance of getting the job at Mosh Market.
pouring rain /ˈpɔːrɪŋ reɪn/ — Amina walked home from Magaff Library through pouring rain.
Not ""Diego has a big chance of getting the job."" — say ""Diego has a good chance of getting the job."". A likely outcome is a good chance. Big describes size, not how likely something is.
Try it: Lani and her older brother tell each other everything. They have a ___. (close relationship / near relationship / tight relationship) Answer: close relationship — A close relationship means people are emotionally near. "Near" describes distance in space, so it does not fit two people who share everything, and "tight" describes something firmly fastened, so English does not use it for family closeness.
When the preposition is fixed
Some collocations fix a preposition instead of a verb or an adjective. You are under pressure when other people expect a lot from you and you have very little time. English chooses under here, so "in pressure" and "on pressure" both sound wrong, even though the meaning is clear.
under pressure /ˈʌndər ˈprɛʃər/ — Hiroshi was under pressure to finish the report by Friday.
Not ""Hiroshi was in pressure at work."" — say ""Hiroshi was under pressure at work."". Pressure takes under. The preposition is fixed by the noun, not chosen by meaning.
Try it: Yasmin has three deadlines this week and no time left to finish them. She is ___. (under pressure / in pressure / on pressure) Answer: under pressure — Pressure takes the preposition under, so someone with too much to do and too little time is under pressure. "In pressure" and "on pressure" copy prepositions from other fixed phrases such as "in trouble" and "on duty", but neither is used with pressure.