Using collocations — New language: Collocations · Vocabulary: Beliefs and opinions · New skill: Talking about your life
Master “Using collocations” to sound natural. Learn belief/opinion vocabulary and talk about your life with authentic chunks, patterns, drills, and FAQs.
Introduction
Ever notice how fluent speakers don’t build sentences word by word? Instead, they reach for ready-made chunks like take a look, strongly believe, make progress, go on a trip, or have a blast. Those chunks are collocations—words that habitually go together.
This unit—Using collocations—focuses on three things at once:
- New language: Collocations you can trust in any conversation,
- Vocabulary: Beliefs and opinions so you can express what you really think, and
- New skill: Talking about your life naturally—without sounding translated.
By the end, you’ll stop hunting for single words and start reaching for phrases that fit.
# What are collocations, really?
Collocations are word partnerships that native speakers use automatically: heavy rain (not strong rain), make a decision (not do a decision), pay attention (not make attention). They’re the shortcuts of fluent speech. Crucially, they’re not random; they’re statistical habits of the language.
Types you’ll meet often:
- Verb + noun: make a decision, take a risk, have a conversation, hold a belief
- Adjective + noun: strong opinion, firm belief, vivid memory, deep feeling
- Adverb + adjective/verb: strongly disagree, deeply regret, firmly believe
- Verb + preposition: believe in, agree with, argue for/against, base on
- Noun + noun (fixed): frame of mind, state of mind, school of thought
Quick rule: if it sounds right and you’ve seen it many times, it’s probably a collocation. Trust frequency.
# Using collocations 101: why they matter
- Speed & fluency: Chunks reduce the cognitive load—fewer decisions per sentence.
- Naturalness: Listeners hear what they expect (and understand you faster).
- Precision: Collocations carry micro-meanings: raise an issue ≠ bring up a topic exactly—one feels slightly more formal.
Mini-contrast:
- I have a strong opinion about this. (natural)
- I have a powerful opinion about this. (odd collocation)
# Core toolkit: high-value collocations for beliefs and opinions
Here’s a starter bank to recycle across contexts.
Belief strength & stance
- I firmly believe / strongly believe / genuinely believe that…
- I’m of the opinion that…
- It’s my considered view that… (formal)
- I’m convinced that… / I hold the view that…
Agreeing / Disagreeing
- I completely agree with you. / I totally disagree.
- I broadly agree, but… / I can’t go along with that.
- I see your point, however…
- I take issue with the idea that…
Evaluating ideas
- That raises an important question.
- The evidence points to… / suggests that…
- We should challenge the assumption that…
- I’d like to draw a distinction between X and Y.
Hedging & nuance
- I tend to think… / I’m inclined to believe…
- As far as I can tell, … / From where I stand, …
- It seems to me that… / To the best of my knowledge, …
Polite disagreement
- I see it differently.
- I respectfully disagree.
- I’m not entirely convinced that…
Recycle these with adverbs for precision: strongly, firmly, genuinely, broadly, partly, cautiously, respectfully.
# New language: Collocations for talking about your life
To talk about your life, reach for everyday collocations:
Daily routines & habits
- get up early, grab a coffee, commute to work, work out, catch up on emails, take a break, wind down, get some sleep
Goals & progress
- set a goal, make progress, hit a milestone, face a setback, learn a lesson, keep a promise
Social & free time
- meet up with friends, go for a walk, catch a movie, have a blast, try out a new place, host a dinner
Study & learning
- take notes, sit an exam, hand in homework, revise for a test, join a study group, stick to a schedule
Work & projects
- run a meeting, pitch an idea, meet a deadline, take responsibility, follow up on, touch base with, reach out to
Pro tip: build mini-scripts from these collocations—one script per situation (morning routine, weekend plans, study schedule).
# Patterns that boost fluency (copy them!)
Pattern A: stance + claim
- I firmly believe that + [clear claim]. I firmly believe that short daily practice beats long weekly sessions.
Pattern B: hedge + belief
- As far as I can tell, + [observation]. As far as I can tell, spaced repetition makes a noticeable difference.
Pattern C: agree + limit
- I broadly agree, but + [condition/exception]. I broadly agree, but motivation dips without a clear routine.
Pattern D: challenge + assumption
- I’d like to challenge the assumption that + [idea]. I’d like to challenge the assumption that grammar drills alone produce fluency.
Pattern E: life-talk frame
- On weekdays I usually + [routine]. On weekends I tend to + [contrast]. Recently I’ve started + [new habit] because + [reason]. On weekdays I usually get up early and go for a quick run. On weekends I tend to sleep in and meet up with friends. Recently I’ve started journaling because it helps me clear my mind.
Use these as templates; swap content, keep the skeleton.
# Using collocations in belief/opinion debates
Question: Do exams help learning?
- Strong stance: I strongly believe that timed exams don’t reflect real-world skills.
- Balanced stance: I broadly agree that exams can motivate students; however, project-based work develops deeper understanding.
- Evidence cue: The data seems to suggest that feedback frequency predicts improvement more than test scores.
Question: Is AI good for language learning?
- Hedge + position: As far as I can tell, AI speeds up feedback. Nevertheless, I’m not entirely convinced it can replace human interaction.
- Challenge assumption: I’d challenge the assumption that faster answers always equal better learning.
Notice how the collocations carry tone: respectful, nuanced, credible.
# New skill: Talking about your life (with belief language)
Blend life-talk with belief/opinion collocations:
Example 1 (daily practice):
- I try to stick to a 20-minute routine every morning. I firmly believe that short bursts of focused work beat long, distracted sessions.
Example 2 (health & balance):
- I’ve been trying to cut back on late-night scrolling. As far as I can tell, better sleep improves my mood and productivity the next day.
Example 3 (study plan):
- I set a clear goal for each week and track small wins. I’m convinced that visible progress keeps motivation alive.
Example 4 (social life):
- I meet up with friends on Fridays to decompress. I tend to think that regular connection prevents burnout.
# Micro-drills: fast fluency gains
1) Swap-in drill (30 seconds):
Choose a base sentence and swap verb/adverb collocations.
- Base: I ( ) believe that routine matters.
→ firmly / strongly / genuinely / increasingly - Base: I ( ) agree, but there’s a catch.
→ broadly / partly / mostly
2) Life-script loop (1 minute):
- Weekdays: I usually + [routine].
- Weekends: I tend to + [activity].
- Recently: I’ve started + [new habit] because + [reason].
3) Polite disagreement ladder (45 seconds):
- I see your point; however… → I’m not entirely convinced… → I have to take issue with…
4) Opinion sandwich (1 minute):
- Claim: I firmly believe that…
- Evidence: The data seems to suggest…
- Concession: That said, I recognize…
- Restated claim: Even so, I’m convinced that…
# Common mistakes (and easy fixes)
- Over-literal translation
- powerful opinion ✗ → strong opinion ✓
- do a decision ✗ → make a decision ✓
- Mixing near-synonyms
- high rain ✗ → heavy rain ✓
- big progress ✗ → significant progress / make great progress ✓
- Missing the adverb
- I believe that… (fine) → I firmly believe that… (clearer stance) ✓
- Monotone stance
- Always saying I think makes you sound hesitant. Rotate: I’m convinced / I would argue / It seems to me / From my perspective.
# Sample dialogues
A. Casual chat (weekend plans)
— Got plans this weekend?
— Yeah, I’m hoping to catch a movie and meet up with friends. I tend to think a relaxed Saturday helps me reset.
B. Study group
— Are vocabulary lists working for you?
— Partly. I strongly believe that practicing collocations in context is more effective.
C. Team meeting
— Should we push the deadline?
— I see your point; however, I’m not entirely convinced that a delay will improve quality. I’d rather tighten our review process.
# Beliefs and opinions: ready-to-use phrases
- From where I stand, …
- It seems to me that …
- I’m inclined to believe …
- I respectfully disagree.
- Let me challenge that assumption…
- I’d draw a distinction between … and …
- The evidence points to …
- I can go along with that, but …
Memorize 5–7 and use them everywhere for the next week.
# Quick self-assessment
Answer each prompt twice—first with a belief/opinion collocation, then with a life-talk collocation.
- Your view on morning routines
- I firmly believe that… / I usually…
- Your stance on group study
- I broadly agree that… / I meet up with classmates to…
- Your approach to stress
- As far as I can tell… / I try to wind down by…
# Using collocations in headlines (memory boost)
- Using collocations: Speak faster by thinking in chunks
- Using collocations: Express beliefs and opinions with confidence
- Using collocations: Talk about your life without searching for words
FAQ
Q1. How do I learn collocations efficiently?
Collect them in themes (work, study, health), not alphabetical lists. Review in mini-scripts you can say out loud.
Q2. Are collocations fixed?
Some are very fixed (heavy rain), others are flexible (strongly/genuinely/firmly believe). Exposure shows which ones “click.”
Q3. How can I sound polite when I disagree?
Use stance softeners: I see your point; however… / I respectfully disagree. / I’m not entirely convinced that…
Q4. Do collocations replace grammar?
No—but they carry grammar. When you learn make a decision, you also learn the verb-object pattern you’ll reuse with make a mistake/progress/improvement.
Q5. How soon will I notice results?
Immediately. Collocations reduce hesitation because you retrieve a whole phrase, not single words.
Conclusion
Fluency isn’t a race to memorize individual words; it’s the art of retrieving the right chunks at the right time. With Using collocations, you’ll express beliefs and opinions precisely and talk about your life smoothly—because you’ll lean on patterns English speakers expect. Build your own bank, practice with mini-scripts, and watch your speech become quicker, clearer, and more natural.
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