Appendix - Collocations of Do, Have, Make, and Take - Wiktionary

Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take - Wiktionary
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Collocations_of_do,_have,_make,_and_take
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary This appendix lists collocations of the verbs make, do, take, and have. In many of these usages the verbs are "light verbs" that lend relatively little semantic content. Other light verbs include: give, pay, put, raise, offer. For people who are learning English, or even who speak it moderately well, these four verbs present difficulties when it comes to many collocations. For example, what about the shopping? Is it do the shopping, or make the shopping? How about photograph? Do a photograph or make a photograph? Neither! You should take a photograph... and so on. This appendix is an attempt to clear up some of the most common doubts and errors. This is not a definitive list. The intention is orientative. All the following nouns and expressions can, of course, take other verbs. The four options
do, make, take, have are in the sense of doing the activity. Have, for instance, normally indicates possession, but that is not the sense of the verb as used in each of the collocations listed in this table. To have a bath, for example, does NOT normally mean to possess a bath. In each case, the idea of the verb is to do the activity.
Readers of this appendix are strongly recommended to read the main entry for the noun or expression to check for correct usage and meaning. Contributors are encouraged to place Usage notes into this appendix similarly, and also into the collocate's main entry, such as: We normally do the shopping. We normally make or take a (tele)phone call. ...and so on, along with the Appendix: link to this page.
do
make
take take action
have
notes To take action means to act positively and decisively to resolve a problem. (light)
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take advantage, take advantage of make amends make an application make an appointment make an argument make arrangements make an attempt make a baby make a bath make the bed, make one's bed take a bath take an application
have an advantage
To take advantage of something or someone means to profit from the momentary situation of the person or thing. To have an advantage means to be in a better position than someone else. To make amends means to compensate for a loss or injury. To make an application means to apply for something. Usually a job, or a bank account, etc. (light) To take an application means to obtain an application form by removing it from a collection of forms.
have an appointment have an argument
To make an appointment means to organise a meeting with other people. To have an appointment means you are to participate in a meeting with other people. To have an argument with someone means to argue with that person. (light) To make an argument for something means to present a logical argument in its favor. To make arrangements means to organise or arrange. (light) To make an attempt means to try, to attempt. (light)
have a baby have a bath
To make a baby is, informally, to engage in sexual intercourse, leading to impregnation. To have a baby is to give birth, to produce a child. To take or have a bath is to bathe. (light) To make a bath is to prepare a bath to the right temperature. To make the or one's bed is to arrange its sheets and covers nicely and rectify any disorder that was caused by sleeping in it. To have a bed is to be in possession of a bed. If you do your best, it means you have acted correctly and that no-one can expect more from you. To make the best of a situation means to take as much advantage as possible from a bad situation. See take advantage. To have the best is to be in possession of the best of something.
have a bed
do one's best, best
make the best of
have the best
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make a bid
take bids
To make a bid means to bid, to make a monetary or economic offer. Template:light To take bids is to solicit offers from several competitors, with the intention of accepting the best bid. have a bite To take a bite means to bite. (light) To take a bite and to have a bite both mean to eat a quick, light snack. To make a bow means to bow. (light) To take a bow means to bow (light) or to accept applause. See take a bow. have a break have a breakthrough To make a break means to try to escape, to break. (light) To take and have a break means to rest from work for a short while, to break. (light) To have a break (more often get a break) also means to be lucky. To make a breakthrough means to make an important discovery. To have a breakthrough means to realize something about oneself.
take a bite make a bow take a bow
make a break make a breakthrough
take a break
do business
take business
To do business means to agree a commercial contract. To have business with someone means to have matters to be settled with that person. To have business take business is to deprive a competitor of a customer by acquiring that customer. have a cancellation To make a cancellation means to cancel. To have a cancellation means to have a slot for attendance of an event become available because the holder of that slot has canceled. To take care means to to be careful. To take care of someone or something means to look after it. See also take care.
make a cancellation
take care, take have a care care of
To have a care means to be careful because you are upsetting someone. To make certain of something means to check that something is correct. See also make sure.
make certain
take a chance, To take a chance means to try something risky. See take a chance. To have a chance have a chance means to have some possibility of success. take chances
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make a charge
take charge
To make a charge for something means to request money for an item or service; it can also mean to make an accusation. To take charge of something is to assume authority over it. To make a claim is usually applied to legal court cases where damages and retribution payments are claimed from the accused.
make a claim have a class, have class
take a class
One takes a class for a semester or year or the like; to have (a) class refers to a single class session. (Note that to have class can also mean "to be classy, sophisticated".) To make a complaint means to complain about bad service or faulty goods. (light) To make a concession means to concede, to yield to, or grant a request even though it is not in agreement with the normal rules. (light) To make contact with someone means to establish communication with them or contact them. (light)
make a complaint make a concession make contact (with) make conversation do a deal make a deal make a decision make demands on make a discovery make an effort make an enquiry make an error take (a lot of) effort take a decision have a conversation
To make conversation means to start a conversation with someone with no other aim than to talk and break the silence. To have a conversation means to converse. (light) To do(US) or make(UK) a deal means to make a contract with someone. To make or take a decision is to decide. (light)
Make is about 50 times more common in the US; 7 times in the UK.
To make demands on someone means to give them a lot of work to do or to impose a burden on them. To make a discovery is to discover something. (light) To make or put forth an effort is to try. An activity takes a lot of effort when it is very difficult to do, or is strenuous. To make an enquiry means to ask or inquire. (light) To make or commit an error is to err. (light)
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take an exam
When students take, complete, sit for (UK), or sit (UK) an exam, test, or quiz, they are tested to demonstrate knowledge or competency; have an exam educators (UK) set or (US) write it (create it for students to take) and then (US) give it (have the students complete it). To have an exam is to be given it. To make an example of someone is to punish someone to disuade others from repeating the offense. See make an example of
make an example of take exception, take exception to
make an exception (for)
To make an exception is to grant a request even though it is not in agreement with the normal rules. To make an exception for is to except. (light) See also make a concession. To take exception to something means to be offended by something, usually something that is said. See also take exception. have an excuse To make an excuse means to excuse, to justify or explain the reason for an incorrect action. (light) To have an excuse means to have a good reason for an incorrect action, whether it is stated or not. To take (some) exercise means to exercise the body. (light) Do needs a quantifier. To do some or an exercise means to exercise the body. To do an exercise can also mean to resolve a problem set in a class. To experiment Generally, one does an experiment in a laboratory, and one makes an experiment when one tries out an idea to see if it works. (light) To do a favour means to help someone with no thought of reward or payment.
make an excuse, make excuses do some exercise, do some exercises do an experiment do a (UK) favour, (US) favor make a fortune make a friend; make friends with make fun of make an experiment
take exercise
To make a fortune means to amass wealth. To make friends is to strike up or start a new friendship or become friends. have fun To make fun of something or someone is to mock or belittle them. To have fun is to enjoy oneself.
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do (some) good
To do good or some good means to do something constructive or helpful. To have a grudge is to maintain a negative feeling against someone or have a grudge something because of a previous wrong against oneself by that someone or something.
do (some) harm make headway make a heart take heart take someone hostage make an inquiry make an investment make someone laugh have a (good) laugh have a heart, have heart
To do harm or some harm means to harm, to do something destructive, or hurtful, or unhelpful. (light) To make headway means to progress in the desired direction. To make a heart is to create the shape of a heart. To take heart is to be cheered up. To have a heart is to be generous. To have heart is to be courageous or persistent. Means to keep, or retain a person or group of people until a specific demand is met. To make an inquiry means to ask, to inquire. (light) To make an investment means to invest time or money. (light) To have a laugh is to laugh (light), or to enjoy laughing with friends. To make someone laugh is to do or say something that causes that person to laugh. To take the lead /li:d/ means to be the leader, or to demonstrate the correct way to do something. Also to gain the lead position in a competition. (light) To have a lead means to have the lead position. (light) To make a list means to write a list. take a look make a loss make a meal, make a meal of take a loss take a meal have a meal have a look To take or have a look at something means to look at it (with purpose). (light) To make or take a loss means to lose money on an investment or a bet. To make a meal (breakfast, lunch, etc) means to prepare the food for that meal. To make a meal of means to spend more time and energy on
take the lead
have a/the lead
make a list
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some task than it warrants. To take a meal and to have a meal mean to eat the food. (Note: do lunch with someone or have a working lunch means to eat lunch with someone while working at the same time.) make (a) mention of make a mistake make a mockery of make a model (of) make money take a nap make a noise make notes make note (of) do a number make a (tele)phone call do an operation make an on someone operation make an opportunity take an opportunity have an opportunity have a party take notes take note (of) take a number take a (tele)phone call have a nap To make (a) mention of something is to mention it, to say it or talk about it briefly. (light) To make a mistake is to err. To make a mockery of something or someone is to mock or belittle them. (light) to make a model means to fabricate or build a model structure. To make a model of {something} means to model it, to build a model of it. (light) to make money means to gain monetary income. to take or have a nap means to nap, sleep for a short while. (light) To make a noise is the act of creating a sound that can be heard To make or take notes is to write the notes, usually to record on paper what someone is saying. To make note or to take note is to note or notice (something). To do a number is to perform an act, usually a song; to take a number is to take a position in a queue. To make a telephone call is to call another person, to take a telephone call is to receive a call, to be called. To do an operation means to operate medically on someone. To make an operation means to conclude a business transaction. To take an opportunity means to the same as take advantage of a situation. To make an opportunity means to arrange things to your advantage. To have an opportunity means to be at the right place at the right time to do something advantageous. To have a party is to organise an informal event with friends, or to enjoy
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oneself. take a picture make a plan make a point, make a point of doing s/t make progress make a promise to someone take someone's promise take someone's point have a plan To take a picture means to capture an image using a photographic camera. To make a plan is to develop an idea, to have a plan is possess, generally in one's mind, an idea that is ready. To make a point means to state a logical argument. To have a point means to have a valid argument. To take someone's point means to accept someone's argument. To make a point of doing something means to be sure of not forgetting to do it. To make progress is to advance. To make a promise to someone is to affirm, or vow, to do something without fail. To take someone's promise means to accept at their word that they will keep their promise and act accordingly. To do research is to try to discover something new by doing experiments. Also it means to discover information by checking through factual books and magazines. have a rest make sense (of) do the shopping make a stop take a shower have a shower make a suggestion take someone's suggestion have a talk To have a rest is to stop doing something. To make sense means to communicate clearly and understandably. To make sense of something means to understand it. To do the shopping means to go to the local shops to buy household needs such as food, clothes, cleaning things, and so on. To make a stop means to have a break in the middle of a journey. To take or have a shower means to wash one's body under a shower to get clean. To make a suggestion means to present an idea to another person or group for their consideration. To take someone's suggestion means to accept the idea they have presented and act accordingly. to have a talk with someone means to speak with them seriously.
have a point
do research
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make tea do a test
take tea take a test
have tea have a test
To make tea (or coffee, etc) is to prepare the drink. To take tea and to have tea both mean to drink some tea (or coffee, etc). To do a test is the same as to do an experiment. For take and have, see the notes for exam. To do time means to be a prisoner in prison. To make time for an activity means to arrange one's agenda so that there is enough time to do that activity. If something takes time it means it is not quick to do. To take one's time means to be slow and careful in doing something. If one has time it means one does not need to make time to do an activity. To make trouble means to cause or provoke problems for other people. To take trouble means to be meticulous or careful in how one does an activity. To have trouble means to suffer from errors or problems. To do the washing-up means to wash the dirty plates, dishes, cutlery, and so on after a meal. Similarly, to do the dishes means to wash the dirty plates after a meal, and by extension, the other [cutlery]], utensils and crockery. If you do well, it means you have acted correctly and the best you can. See also do one's best.
do time
make time
take (one's) time
have time
make trouble do the washing-up do the dishes do well make a wish
take trouble
have trouble
If you make a wish, it means you express, often silently, a desire for some particular outcome. have words / a To have a word or words with someone is to tell them off or to argue with word them.
do (some) work make work do homework, housework etc.
have work
If you do some work, you are working. You make work (for someone else, or for yourself) when your efforts are counterproductive. To have work is to be employed, or to have tasks that require completion. Most derivations of work collocate with do.
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1 General differences among English light verbs 1.1 make 1.2 take 1.3 do 1.4 have 1.5 get 1.6 hold 1.7 give 1.8 pay 1.9 put 1.10 raise 1.11 offer 1.12 set
make
In light-verb constructions "make" implies an active role by the subject, who causes something new to occur or come into existence from pre-existing material or a pre-existing situation or the normal course of events.
take
"Take" implies an active role by the subject, but no change in the object except for its ownership.
do
"Do" implies that the subject is active, but fitting into a pre-existing role.
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have
"Have" implies a greater degree of passivity and no causation.
get hold give

"Give" implies a degree of activity by the subject, but also the involvement of a recipient.
pay put raise offer set

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Appendix - Collocations of Do, Have, Make, and Take - Wiktionary

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Appendix - Collocations of Do, Have, Make, and Take - Wiktionary

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take take action