25 Relationships Collocations in Context

Read carefully this text where you will find 25 relationships collocations in context and then complete the quiz.

Starting Relationships

When you move to a new city, it can be hard to make friends. You’ll probably have a number of casual acquaintances – people who you know on a basic level, but with whom you don’t have a significant relationship. Over time, some of these may become good friends or close friends – these collocations refer to friends with whom you have an especially strong relationship. 

Do you believe in love at first sight? That’s when two people meet each other and immediately fall in love – perhaps because they have strong chemistry – this expression describes strong compatibility or connection between two possible romantic partners. Some people believe that their significant other (their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife) is their soul mate – this is a poetic expression that means that two people are destined to be together. 

Deepening Relationships

It’s possible for one person to have feelings for another person – this expression is an indirect way to describe romantic feelings – but if the other person doesn’t feel the same way, then the feeling is not mutual. The other person might say “he’s/she’s just not my type” – meaning that they are interested in people of a different type of personality/appearance. Ah, there’s nothing sadder than unrequited love! (Love that is not returned) 

On the other hand, some people marry their childhood sweetheart or high school/college sweetheart – this expression refers to a boyfriend or girlfriend from your childhood, teenage, or college years. Other couples are introduced by a mutual friend – one friend that the two people have in common. When the couple is ready to make a commitment, the man proposes to the woman – he asks her to marry him. If the marriage is good, then we say the couple is happily married. 

Unfortunately, not all love stories have a happy ending. Sometimes a husband or wife has an affair – they have sex with a different person. We can also say that they are cheating on their husband/wife. Besides, the expression “have an affair” is typically used only for married couples, and the expression “cheating on” can be used for married couples or for boyfriends/girlfriends. 

Do you know any other collocation or expression related to relationships, or to introduce yourself in natural English when meeting people for the first time? Share with us! Keep on task learning 30 more family collocations in context or 20 behavior collocations in context or more collocations in context.

Quiz

Complete the following quiz with the right relationship collocation in context:

1. The process of creating friendships is called…  a) getting friends b) earning friends c) making friends 

2. A “close friend” is someone…  a) who lives near you b) who is similar to you c)with whom you have a strong friendship 

3. When you develop romantic feelings for another person, you’re…  a) becoming passionate b) falling in love c) giving your heart 

4. If only one of the two people has romantic feelings, we say the feeling is not…  a) mutual b) returned c) together 

5. A polite way to say you’re not attracted to someone is: “He/she’s not my…”  a) kind b) style c) type 

6. A man who marries a woman who he met when both were very young, has married his childhood…  a) darling b) lover c) sweetheart 

7. When two people get married, they make a ___________ to each other.  a) commitment b) compromise c) guarantee 

8. Many men try to find a creative and romantic way to __________ to their girlfriends.  a) propose b) proposition c) purpose 

9. A lot of marriages end when one member of the couple has an…  a)affair b) experience c) intimacy 

10. If you catch your significant other in bed with another person, then he/she is _________ on you.  a) betraying b) cheating c) deceiving 

Hope now you can use relationship collocations with confidence! Go on learning about the Use of English and about passing your First Certificate Exam with flying colors!

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To keep on improving your speaking skills, have a look at this post on savvy synonyms for overused words in speaking.

Answer Key

Complete the following quiz with the right relationship collocation in context:

1. The process of creating friendships is called… c) making friends 

2. A “close friend” is someone… c)with whom you have a strong friendship 

3. When you develop romantic feelings for another person, you’re… b) falling in love 

4. If only one of the two people has romantic feelings, we say the feeling is not… a) mutual 

5. A polite way to say you’re not attracted to someone is: “He/she’s not my…” c) type 

6. A man who marries a woman who he met when both were very young, has married his childhood…  c) sweetheart 

7. When two people get married, they make a a) commitment to each other. 

8. Many men try to find a creative and romantic way to a) propose to their girlfriends. 

9. A lot of marriages end when one member of the couple has an… a) affair 

10. If you catch your significant other in bed with another person, then he/she is b) cheating on you.