This page contains a sample of typical errors and other problems affecting how collocations are employed in academic English writing. It is free to copy, redistribute and adapt, provided appropriate credit is given to ColloCaid (CC BY).
An extended version of this list in database form can be found at:
Frankenberg-Garcia, A., Rees, G. (2021). “ColloCaid Academic Collocation Errors and Other Problems”.
(https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13640624)
Remember, however, that good writing is not just about correcting mistakes. To expand your academic vocabulary, improve the fluency of your writing, and enhance the readability of your texts, try the ColloCaid prototype.
Go to problems involving collocations with:
ability
ability of producing
ability of using ability of making ability of controlling ability of being ability of providing |
ability to produce
ability to use ability to make ability to control ability to be ability to provide |
accept
accept to participate
accept to take part accept to pay |
agree to participate
agree to take part agree to pay |
advice
give an advice
provide advices seek advices expert advices practical advices good advices |
give advice
provide advice seek advice expert advice practical advice good advice |
afford
afford paying
afford buying afford ignoring afford losing |
afford to pay
afford to buy afford to ignore afford to lose |
agree
agree the view that
agree the statement agree to this conclusion agree to the idea |
agree with the view that
agree with the statement agree with this conclusion agree with the idea |
arrive
arrive to a conclusion
arrive to a decision |
arrive at a conclusion
arrive at a decision |
ask
ask to users
ask to participants ask to students |
ask users
ask participants ask students |
avoid
avoid to be
avoid to use avoid to make |
avoid being
avoid using avoid making |
based
based in data
based in previous based in evidence |
based on data
based on previous based on evidence |
beginning
At the beginning,
in the beginning of the in the beginning of this in the beginning of each in the beginning of a |
In the beginning,
at the beginning of the at the beginning of this at the beginning of each at the beginning of a |
bit
a bit different
a bit small a bit complex a bit similar a bit misleading a bit surprising |
rather different
rather small rather complex somewhat similar somewhat misleading somewhat surprising |
change
change of the rate
change of behaviour change of price change of level change of temperature change in state change in circumstances |
change in the rate
change in behaviour change in price change in level change in temperature change of state change of circumstances |
contribute
contribute to improve
contribute to understand contribute to strengthen contribute to reduce |
contribute to improving
contribute to understanding contribute to strengthening contribute to reducing |
control
take control over
lose control over exercise control of exert control of |
take control of
lose control of exercise control over exert control over |
criterion
selection criterions
evaluation criterions an important criteria meet the criterions |
selection criteria
evaluation criteria an important criterion meet the criteria |
damage
suffer a damage
cause a damage prevent damages serious damages severe damages further damages |
suffer (some) damage
cause (some) damage prevent damage serious damage severe damage further damage |
decrease
a decrease of size
a decrease of frequency a decrease of activity a decrease of number |
a decrease in size
a decrease in frequency a decrease in activity a decrease in number |
depend
depend of the nature
depend of the type depend of the factor depend of the number depend of the size depend of the condition |
depend on the nature
depend on the type depend on the factor depend on the number depend on the size depend on the condition |
dependent
dependent of the factor
dependent of the size dependent of the context dependent of the condition dependent of the number dependent of the level |
dependent on the factor
dependent on the size dependent on the context dependent on the condition dependent on the number dependent on the level |
despite
despite of the fact that
despite of the differences despite of efforts to despite of the increase despite of the limitations |
despite the fact that
despite the differences despite efforts to despite the increase despite the limitations |
difference
a difference of rate
a difference of level a difference of behaviour a difference of size a difference of structure a difference of number |
a difference in rate
a difference in level a difference in behaviour a difference in size a difference in structure a difference in number |
discuss
discuss about the issue
discuss about the problem discuss about the case discuss about the implications discuss about the results |
discuss the issue
discuss the problem discuss the case discuss the implications discuss the results |
divided
divided in groups
divided in sections divided in parts divided in categories divided in two |
divided into groups
divided into sections divided into parts divided into categories divided into two |
do
do research
do projects |
conduct research
undertake projects |
economical
social and economical
political and economical economical growth economical development economical activity |
social and economic
political and economic economic growth economic development economic activity |
effect
effect the behaviour
effect the outcome adversely effected directly effected significantly effected negatively effected |
affect the behaviour
affect the outcome adversely affected directly affected significantly affected negatively affected |
emphasize
emphasize on the importance
emphasize on the role emphasize on the need |
emphasize the importance
emphasize the role emphasize the need |
end
At the end,
in the end of the in the end of this in the end of each in the end of a |
In the end,
at the end of the at the end of this at the end of each at the end of a |
enter
enter into the market
enter into the country enter into a new phase enter into the final stage |
enter the market
enter the country enter a new stage enter the final stage |
evidence
a clear evidence
a further evidence empirical evidences gather evidences the evidences presented |
clear evidence
further evidence empirical evidence gather evidence the evidence presented |
half
more than a half
less than a half over a half almost a half nearly a half only a half the half of the total the half of the world the half of the participants |
more than half
less than half over half almost half nearly half only half half of the total half of the world half of the participants |
hand
in one hand
on one hand in the one hand in the other hand |
on the one hand
on the one hand on the one hand on the other hand |
harmful
harmful for health
harmful for the environment harmful for children |
harmful to health
harmful to the environment harmful to children |
increase
increase of the number of
increase of the rate of increase of the level of increase of demand increase of price increase of temperature |
increase in the number of
increase in the rate of increase in the level of increase in demand increase in price increase in temperature |
independent
independent from each other
independent from one another independent from size independent from those factors |
independent of each other
independent of one another independent of size independent of those factors |
information
obtain an information
provide informations the informations gathered relevant informations detailed informations a useful information |
obtain information
provide (some) information the information gathered relevant information detailed information useful information |
interest
interest for the
interest for a interest for this interest for what interest for how interest for whether interest for understanding interest for developing |
interest in the
interest in a interest in this interest in what interest in how interest in whether interest in understanding interest in developing |
knowledge
a new knowledge
a prior knowledges scientific knowledges gaps in knowledges knowledges and skills |
new knowledge
prior knowledge scientific knowledge gaps in knowledge knowledge and skills |
knowledge in the
knowledge in a knowledge in how knowledge on this knowledge on their knowledge on what |
knowledge of the
knowledge of a knowledge of how knowledge of this knowledge of their knowledge of what |
less
less people
less resources less cases less hours less differences less options |
fewer people
fewer resources fewer cases fewer hours fewer differences fewer options |
a lot
a lot more
a lot larger a lot greater a lot higher a lot less a lot smaller a lot lower |
much more
much larger much greater much higher much less much smaller much lower |
a lot of
a lot of people
a lot of cases a lot of ways a lot of different a lot of research a lot of work a lot of attention |
many people
many cases many ways many different much research much work much attention |
make
make them to feel
make it to appear make it to seem |
make them feel
make it appear make it seem |
need
the need of
a need of no need of an urgent need of in need for |
the need for
a need for no need for an urgent need for in need of |
person
many persons
other persons most persons number of persons group of persons % of persons the majority of persons |
many people
other people most people number of people group of people % of people the majority of people |
phenomenon
a new phenomena
a complex phenomena a similar phenomena other phenomenon such phenomenon |
a new phenomenon
a complex phenomenon a similar phenomenon other phenomena such phenomena |
possibility
possibility to use
possibility to be possibility to make possibility to have possibility to develop |
possibility of using
possibility of being possibility of making possibility of having possibility of developing |
progress
make progresses
achieve a good progress measure progresses a steady progress a substantial progress considerable progresses |
make progress
achieve good progress measure progress steady progress substantial progress considerable progress |
provide
provides us a
provides them the provide people information provides it more |
provides us with a
provides them with the provide people with information provides it with more |
reason
reason of this
reason of the reason of their reason of a reason of not |
reason for this
reason for the reason for their reason for a reason for not |
related
related with the
related with a related with their related with this related with its |
related to the
related to a related to their related to this related to its |
research
qualitative researches
future researches recent researches conduct researches researches show that |
qualitative research
future research recent research conduct research research shows that |
responsible
responsible of the
responsible of ensuring responsible by the responsible by this responsible by what |
responsible for the
responsible for ensuring responsible for the responsible for this responsible for what |
right
right of having
right of using right of making right of participating right of working |
right to have
right to use right to make right to participate right to work |
risk
risk to be
risk to lose |
risk being
risk losing |
same
the same than the
the same than that the same than those the same than in |
the same as the
the same as that the same as those the same as in |
similar
similar as that
similar as those similar as each other |
similar to that
similar to those similar to each other |
solution
solution of the problem
solution of the solution of this |
solution to the problem
solution to the solution to this |
spend
spend more in
spend less in spend time in spend money in time spent in |
spend more on
spend less on spend time on spend money on time spent on |
spend
spent to work
spent to watch spent to look for spent to wait for |
spent working
spent watching spent looking for spent waiting for |
stop
stop to work
stop to use stop to do |
stop working
stop using stop doing |
stress
stress on the importance
stress on the need |
stress the importance
stress the need |
suggest
suggest to use
suggest to adopt suggest to add |
suggest using
suggest adopting suggest adding |
tendency
tendency of a
tendency of the tendency of convergence |
tendency towards a
tendency towards the tendency towards convergence |
tendency of being
tendency of using tendency of seeing tendency of forming |
tendency to be
tendency to use tendency to see tendency to form |
think
think to quit
think to try think to use |
think about quitting
think about trying think about using |
till
till the
till they till it till recently till now till after |
until the
until they until it until recently until now until after |
trouble
have a trouble
cause a trouble have troubles getting have troubles finding |
have trouble
cause trouble have trouble getting have trouble finding |
typical
typical for the
typical for a typical for many typical for those |
typical of the
typical of a typical of many typical of those |
worth
worth to note
worth to consider worth to mention worth to remember worth to point out worth to emphasize worth to explore |
worth noting
worth considering worth mentioning worth remembering worth pointing out worth emphasizing worth exploring |