English Collocations

English Collocations: Make & Take – Learn with Examples & Exercises

Hello everyone, it’s Ms Zaheda again! In my previous blogpost, I shared about verb + preposition English collocations. To recap, an English collocation is when you combine 2 or more words which are closely connected to each other, so a verb + preposition collocation is when you combine a verb with its corresponding preposition. Some examples we went through were ‘abide by’, ‘considerate of’ and ‘exempt from’. I hope you have a better idea of how to use them now!

Like I have mentioned in my earlier post, there are many English collocations and the easiest way to learn them would be to look at the different combinations of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions. Today, let’s take a look at another common combination; that of verb + noun collocations!

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Watch the video below!


This video will focus on 2 common verbs – make and take. Let’s have a look at some nouns that pair well with these verbs!

Make
1) make conversation: to say some things in order to get a conversation started, especially with someone you may not know very well, or in order to be polite
Sentence: Trying to fill the awkward silence in the room, I made conversation with the contestant sitting next to me.

2) make a fuss: to become angry and complain
Sentence: “It’s not that serious, Janet. You don’t need to make a fuss over a broken cup!” I muttered.

3) make an exception: to not treat someone or something according to the usual rules
Sentence: There was a traffic jam! Can’t you make an exception for us being late this time?

4) make sense: to have a clear meaning, or be easy to understand
Sentence: Your explanation was really helpful. The answer makes sense now!

5) make progress: to move forward in one’s work or activity
Sentence: The school recognised the efforts of the students who made significant progress at the end of the year.

Take
1) take charge: to assume control or responsibility
Sentence: Seeing how far behind his group was, Amir decided to take charge and delegate roles to his members.

2) take responsibility: to blame oneself for a fault or to own up to the consequences of one’s actions
Sentence: Everyone is grounded until someone takes responsibility for this broken television!

3) take advantage: to use someone’s weakness to improve your situation or to use a particular situation to get what you want
Sentence: It’s not right to take advantage of someone’s kindness.

4) take an interest: to be concerned or curious about something
Sentence: Josh has really taken an interest in the family business. How unexpected!

5) take a chance: to do something risky with the hope of success
Sentence: In spite of the risks, Amy was willing to take a chance and become a star.

What I have shared with you today is not an exhaustive list because you must have realised by now that there are many verbs and nouns, and as a result there are countless combinations of verb+noun collocations. However, do not fret! You can try these 3 simple steps to effectively learn such English collocations:

1. Think of / write down a common verb.

2. Jot down as many nouns as you can think of that pair correctly with the verb. If the noun appears in a phrase, remember to include the entire phrase. When you are in doubt, use the dictionary to check your English collocation!

3. Add in any new nouns you encounter along the way and revise this list often. If you find it useful, you can also add the definition as well as a sample sentence for each one. Let me show you what I mean!

English Collocations

Remember that the key to learning English collocations is to read widely and to be aware of them when you see or hear them being used so that you can take note of them. I hope the collocations I have shared will be useful not only when you revise for
your examinations but also help you sound more fluent and natural when interacting with others.

If you have found this video helpful, do check out our other videos for more useful tips. And don’t forget to like and subscribe! Till my next post, take care!

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Ms Zaheda

Having taught at a language arts school previously, Ms Zaheda conducted creative writing lessons and biannual speech and drama workshops. Through these sessions, she honed students’ love and flair for the language, as well as allowed each child to explore their own unique style of expression.

With the right coaching and attitude, she believes every child will find the English Language enjoyable and grow in confidence.

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