Olympiad Notes: Collocation and Idioms | English Olympiad class 5 PDF Download

Understanding Collocations and Idioms

Understanding collocations and idioms will help you express yourself more naturally in English. Both are essential parts of language that native speakers use frequently. Knowing them will improve your vocabulary and writing skills, making your sentences sound more fluent.

What are Collocations?

Collocations are two or more words that naturally go together. They sound correct to native speakers because they are used in a fixed way. For example, we say "make a decision" instead of "do a decision."

Types of Collocations

1. Verb + Noun

• Take a break (correct) vs. Do a break (incorrect)
• Make a choice vs. Do a choice

2. Adjective + Noun

• Strong coffee (correct) vs. Powerful coffee
• Heavy rain vs. Big rain

3. Noun + Noun

• A round of applause
• A sense of humor

4. Verb + Adverb

• Run quickly
• Speak loudly

5. Adverb + Adjective

• Completely wrong
• Deeply sorry

Practice Question with Collocations:

Choose the correct collocation:
"We will have to ______ a decision soon."
Options: make, do, create
Ans: make

What are Idioms?

Idioms are expressions with a meaning different from the literal meaning of the words. These phrases are often tricky because the words together mean something entirely unique. For example, "break the ice" means to start a conversation, not to actually break ice.

Examples of Idioms and Their Meanings:

• Break the ice: Start a conversation in a friendly way.
  Example: "The teacher told a joke to break the ice on the first day."

• Hit the sack: Go to bed.
  Example: "I’m really tired; I’ll hit the sack now."

• Raining cats and dogs: Raining very heavily.
  Example: "It’s raining cats and dogs outside, so take an umbrella."

• Under the weather: Feeling sick or unwell.
  Example: "I didn’t go to school today because I was under the weather."

• Piece of cake: Something that is very easy.
  Example: "The math test was a piece of cake."

Difference Between Collocations and Idioms

• Collocations are predictable word pairs (e.g., "make a decision").
• Idioms are phrases where the meaning is different from the literal words (e.g., "break the ice").

Practice Question with Idioms:

1. Fill in the blank:
"After a long day, I can’t wait to ______ the sack."
Ans: hit

2. Identify the meaning:
"The science test was a piece of cake."
Ans: The test was very easy.

How to Learn Collocations and Idioms

• Read stories and newspapers: Notice how words are paired.
• Keep a list: Write down interesting collocations and idioms you come across.
• Practice sentences: Use new collocations and idioms in your writing and speaking.
• Play word games: Try quizzes or word puzzles to reinforce your learning.

Mastering collocations and idioms will make your English more natural and fun. With practice, you’ll be able to express ideas fluently and understand tricky phrases easily!