#318: Collocations with Situation | Advanced Vocabulary [+ Free Worksheet]

Have you ever found yourself struggling to find the right words in English, only to end up feeling awkward or misunderstood… knowing that something just wasn’t quite right? 

Imagine speaking with the natural fluency you have in your native language. 

The secret? It’s all about collocations.

Let me explain what collocations are and why they are crucial.

You might already be familiar with the word “situation,” but here’s a little secret: knowing just the word isn’t enough. English speakers often use specific word combinations, or collocations, to sound more natural and fluent and use quick, precise communication.

For example, you’ve learned to say, “make a decision” instead of “do a decision”? 

Truthfully, there’s little to no difference in the meaning between the two but English speakers say “make a decision.” Period.

That’s a collocation: words that are often used together in a way that sounds natural to English speakers. Think of them as word partners that commonly go hand in hand. 

And it’s not just about sounding more fluent—it’s about avoiding common mistakes and misunderstandings.

Think about it. If you rely solely on translating word-for-word from your native language, you might end up with phrases that sound awkward or even confusing. 

This can lead to misunderstandings, or worse, make you sound less confident than you actually are.

By learning collocations, you gain several advantages:

1. Natural Sounding Speech: You’ll start to speak and write more like an advanced, fluent English speaker.
2. Improved Comprehension: You’ll understand conversations and texts more easily.
3. Effective Communication: You’ll express yourself more clearly and accurately.
4. Expanded Vocabulary: You’ll learn new words and phrases in context, which helps you remember them better.

So, how will we tackle this lesson?

I want you to learn in the most efficient way possible. To do that… 

I’ve selected common collocations used with the word ‘situation’ and grouped them’ by themes such as work, challenges, social situations, and more. 

This way, you’ll see how these words fit into different contexts. 

Then, I’ll also provide clear definitions and example sentences for each collocation. This method will help you understand and remember them better.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a strong grasp of 21 common collocations with the word “situation.” You’ll know exactly how to use them in your conversations and writing, making your English sound more natural and fluent.

Collocations with ‘Situation’ | A Smart Way to Build Up Your Vocabulary

Work and Challenges

This group focuses on collocations used in professional and challenging contexts. These phrases help you describe various difficult or advantageous scenarios you might encounter in the workplace or other demanding situations.

1. Challenging situation
• Def: A problem that requires a lot of skill or effort to solve.
• Ex: I’m in a super challenging situation at work right now. I have to train a new employee and meet my upcoming deadlines.
2. Tough situation
• Def: A difficult problem, choice, or circumstance.
• Ex: It’s a tough situation when you have to choose between taking a much-needed break and caring for loved ones.
3. No-win situation
• Def: A situation in which everyone loses something.
• Ex: I keep telling my kids that it’s a no-win situation when they argue over who does what chores. They should work together!
4. Win-win situation
• Def: A situation in which all people win or receive a benefit of some kind.
• Ex: By the end of the discussion, it was a win-win situation. Everyone walked away from the table with something they wanted.
5. Delicate situation
• Def: A fragile situation that needs to be handled carefully or problems will occur.
• Ex: Negotiating a pay raise is always a delicate situation.
6. To lose control of a situation
• Def: To no longer have the ability to manage or influence a situation.
• Ex: When the manager left, we quickly lost control of the situation.

Difficult and Dangerous Situations

This group includes collocations that describe severe, risky, or precarious situations. These phrases are useful for talking about emergencies, unstable conditions, and situations that require immediate attention or careful handling.

1. Dire situation
• Def: A very serious problem that needs immediate attention.
• Ex: The wildfires caused a dire situation for many families who lost their homes.
2. Precarious situation
• Def: An unstable situation that could become worse.
• Ex: The children were stuck in a precarious situation when the roller coaster stopped working.
3. Unbearable situation
• Def: A situation so bad that it’s impossible to tolerate it.
• Ex: Yesterday’s heatwave was an unbearable situation.
4. Untenable situation
• Def: A situation that can no longer be maintained.
• Ex: After missing more than two car payments, Georgia found herself in an untenable situation.
5. Sticky situation
• Def: A difficult, awkward, or sensitive situation that is hard to come out of.
• Ex: If you find yourself caught between two people in an argument, you’re facing a sticky situation.
6. Volatile situation
• Def: A circumstance that could easily blow out of proportion and become violent or chaotic.
• Ex: Any political conversation in my family turns into a volatile situation; don’t bring it up.
7. Deteriorating situation
• Def: A worsening set of circumstances.
• Ex: The deteriorating situation in the neighborhood made everyone feel unsafe.

Social and Personal Situations

This group contains collocations relevant to social interactions and personal experiences. These phrases help you navigate and describe everyday social contexts, embarrassing moments, and personal encounters.

1. Awkward situation
• Def: An uncomfortable or embarrassing circumstance.
• Ex: We found ourselves in an awkward situation when we both showed up wearing the same dress to the wedding.
2. Social situation
• Def: Any circumstance in which you’re interacting with someone.
• Ex: New social situations can feel intimidating at first.
3. Real-life situation
• Def: A situation that occurs in everyday life – not fiction or fantasy.
• Ex: In a real-life situation, you wouldn’t have time to write your thoughts down before making small talk with someone.
4. To discuss a situation
• Def: To talk about a specific circumstance.
• Ex: We need to discuss the situation before making any decisions.
5. To encounter a situation
• Def: To come across or face a particular set of circumstances.
• Ex: During the trip, we encountered a situation that required us to change our plans.
6. To avoid a situation
• Def: To stay away from or prevent a particular circumstance.
• Ex: She managed to avoid a difficult situation by preparing in advance.

Emerging and Changing Situations

This group features collocations that describe situations that are developing or constantly changing. These phrases are useful for discussing current events, new developments, and dynamic conditions.

1. Current situation
• Def: What is happening right now.
• Ex: Due to the current situation of rising gas prices, many people are looking for ways to save money on transportation.
2. Emerging situation
• Def: A new situation that is developing.
• Ex: The company is facing an emerging situation with a new competitor offering the same services.
3. Evolving situation
• Def: Constantly changing.
• Ex: Due to the rapidly evolving situation, the government is working hard to improve emergency responses.

Other

This group includes collocations that don’t fit neatly into the other categories but are still important for describing various scenarios. These phrases cover economic conditions, ideal or unlikely situations, and more.

1. Economic situation
• Def: The state of a country’s economy, including money, jobs, wealth, etc.
• Ex: Since the pandemic, the economic situation in most countries has improved.
2. Ideal situation
• Def: The perfect circumstance, usually in terms of how you would prefer it to be.
• Ex: In an ideal situation, we’d be living abroad and working remotely.
3. Unlikely situation
• Def: Something highly improbable.
• Ex: Winning the lottery is a highly unlikely situation.

Practice makes progress. 

Using these collocations will help you sound more natural and fluent in your English conversations and writing.

For even more practice and to help you remember what you’ve learned, be sure to download my worksheet to practice.

~ Annemarie

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