Download the nice version of the Oxford Collocation Dictionary in PDF

Oxford Collocation Dictionary is one of the top choices for IELTS candidates preparing for the exam today. Besides aiding in collocation memorization, this dictionary also provides knowledge to help users easily apply their understanding to the four-skill IELTS tests. Let's take a look at a detailed review and download link for the PDF version of the Oxford Collocation Dictionary below from PREP!

I. Introduction to Oxford Collocations Dictionary

1. General information

The Oxford Collocation Dictionary provides collocations (word combinations) - pairs of words that commonly go together. The dictionary includes 9,000 words along with a host of common collocations associated with each:

2. Targeted learner

Anyone learning English can use the Oxford Collocation Dictionary to look up collocations. However, Prep provides some notes as follows:

• Collocation is for those at intermediate or higher levels aiming to advance their proficiency. Therefore, the best users of the Oxford Collocation Dictionary are those at the intermediate level and beyond, with a reasonable vocabulary base.
• If you are a beginner or lower level, with a limited vocabulary, you should not rush into studying collocations yet. Instead, focus first on mastering core grammar and vocabulary fundamentals.

II. Which collocations are included in the Oxford Collocation Dictionary?

• Collocation by Strength: The book provides collocations at varying strengths from Fairly weak (e.g. see a movie) to Medium-strength (e.g. highly intelligent) to Strongest & most restricted (e.g. burning ambition). It covers around 9,000 main words with related collocations.
• Collocations from Real Data: The word combinations are derived from 100 million words of the British National Corpus. The selected collocations have been vetted for common usage to ensure reliable learning.
• Collocation by Domain: It includes the most important collocations in specific fields like law, healthcare, and topics expressing emotion or relationships. Informal collocations commonly used in spoken language are also covered.
• Word Collocation: Exact word combinations, e.g. "small fortune" cannot be changed to "little fortune" although the words are synonyms.
• Category Collocation: Words that can be combined with others in a conceptual category or set, e.g. time-related words like "three-minute, five minute" clearly belong together in a time category.

III. Other collocation books for reference

Below are several collocation books with different learning approaches for your reference:

1. English collocation in use

• Targeted level: This series is suitable for those at the intermediate level (5.0+ IELTS) or higher. It consists of two books: Collocation in Use Intermediate and Collocation in Use Advanced.
• Content: Published by Cambridge University Press, in addition to providing collocations like dictionaries, the books also include exercises and instructions to help users practice collocations fluently.

2. Understanding Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking and Writing

• Targeted level: This book is also intended for intermediate-level (5.0+ IELTS) learners looking to improve their Lexical Resources score in IELTS Speaking and Writing.
• Content: It covers vocabulary and phrases across 16 common IELTS topics. In addition, the exercises apply a Context Exploring method to help students understand how to use words/phrases appropriately according to context.

Please refer to the following article: 

IV. How to use Oxford Collocations Dictionary & learn collocations effectively

To enhance your collocation bank effectively utilizing the Oxford Collocation Dictionary, consider the following strategies for learning collocations:

• Learn by word constituent: Specifically, learn fixed phrases corresponding to each verb. For example, with the verb "break", learn fixed phrases like "break the news", "break a habit", "Break a record", etc. This helps distinguish differences between phrases and avoid misuse.
• Learn by vocabulary topic: In the Jobs topic, learn common phrases like "do an internship", "acquire experience", "competitive salary", and "promotion opportunity". This method not only helps remember phrases longer but also understand proper usage.
• Mnemonics method: Associate new words by creating meaningful connections, making memorization easier. This memory technique uses cues to link something already in the learner's memory with external things they are trying to remember. For example, create a story about your career using phrases learned in the "Jobs" topic and common collocations.

V. Download the Oxford Collocations Dictionary in a nice and free PDF

You can freely download the Oxford Collocation Dictionary PDF from the link below. You can also purchase the physical copy from e-commerce platforms:

Prep has introduced the Oxford Collocation Dictionary and effective ways to learn collocations. We hope this was a helpful resource. Best of luck with your studies!