What is an idiomatic collocation?

What is an idiomatic collocation?

• A. A fixed, natural word pairing (e.g., "commit a crime").
• B. A metaphor that uses a direct comparison.
• C. A rhetorical question used for emphasis.
• D. A sentence with parallel structure.

Answer: (D)

The concept being tested is how words naturally pair in English. An idiomatic collocation is a fixed, natural word pairing—a phrase native speakers tend to use together as a routine unit. For example, “commit a crime” is a common, conventional combination; speakers don’t usually say “perform a crime” or other alternatives. This reflects habitual usage rather than a literal or freely chosen pairing, and it sounds right to native ears because it’s a standard expression. The other options describe different language devices. A metaphor is a figurative comparison, not a routine word pairing. A rhetorical question is asked for emphasis and doesn’t function as a fixed phrase. A sentence with parallel structure relies on repeating grammatical patterns, not on a fixed pairing of words.

The concept being tested is how words naturally pair in English. An idiomatic collocation is a fixed, natural word pairing—a phrase native speakers tend to use together as a routine unit. For example, “commit a crime” is a common, conventional combination; speakers don’t usually say “perform a crime” or other alternatives. This reflects habitual usage rather than a literal or freely chosen pairing, and it sounds right to native ears because it’s a standard expression.

The other options describe different language devices. A metaphor is a figurative comparison, not a routine word pairing. A rhetorical question is asked for emphasis and doesn’t function as a fixed phrase. A sentence with parallel structure relies on repeating grammatical patterns, not on a fixed pairing of words.