English Learning for Beginners: Collocations

Dialogue

Current Situation

Imagine you’re building with LEGOs. Some pieces naturally fit together, right? English words are often like that too! Collocations are simply words that often go together naturally. For example, we say “make a decision,” not “do a decision.” Even though “make” and “do” can seem similar, in English, certain verbs just “pair up” with certain nouns or phrases. Learning collocations helps your English sound more natural and fluent, just like native speakers!

For beginners, it’s easy to get confused, but don’t worry! The more you read and listen to English, the more these natural pairs will become familiar. Today, we’re focusing on some common collocations, especially those using “make,” “do,” and “take.”

Key Phrases

• make a mistake: to do something wrong or incorrect. Example: Don’t worry if you make a mistake, just try again.
• do homework: to complete school assignments at home. Example: I need to do my homework before watching TV.
• break a promise: to not do what you said you would do. Example: It’s important not to break a promise to a friend.
• take responsibility: to accept that you are the cause of something, good or bad. Example: He decided to take responsibility for his actions.
• make an effort: to try hard to do something. Example: You should always make an effort to learn new things.
• take a picture: to use a camera to create an image. Example: Let’s take a picture together!
• make a fuss: to show a lot of anger, worry, or excitement about something that is not very important. Example: Please don’t make a fuss about such a small problem.

Grammar Points

1. Collocations with “Make” vs. “Do”

One of the trickiest parts of collocations for beginners is often knowing when to use make and when to use do. Here’s a simple guide:

• Do is often used for actions, tasks, or work. It implies carrying out an activity.
  • do homework (a task)
  • do the dishes (a chore)
  • do a job (work)
  • do a favor (an action for someone)
• Make is often used for creating, producing, or forming something new.
  • make a mistake (you “produce” an error)
  • make a decision (you “create” a choice)
  • make dinner (you “produce” food)
  • make a noise (you “create” a sound)

2. Using Articles (a/an/the) with Collocations

Many collocations, especially those involving a verb + noun, use articles like “a” or “an”.

• a/an is used when the noun is singular and countable, and it’s a general or new thing.
  • make a mistake
  • make an effort
  • take a picture
• Sometimes, no article is used, especially with plural nouns or uncountable nouns in a general sense.
  • do homework (homework is generally uncountable here)
  • lose heart (an idiom, often no article)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct verb (make / do / take) to complete the collocation.

1. Please don’t _______ a mess in the kitchen.
2. I always _______ my best in class.
3. Could you please _______ a deep breath?
4. It’s time to _______ a decision about our trip.
5. Remember to _______ responsibility for your actions.

Exercise 2: Match the words to form common collocations.

Connect the verb on the left with the noun on the right that it most commonly goes with.

• 1. Make a) a promise
• 2. Do b) a mistake
• 3. Break c) homework
• 4. Take d) a picture
• 5. Make e) an effort

Exercise 3: Complete the sentences with a suitable collocation from the Key Phrases list.

1. I didn’t study, so I think I will ______ on the exam.
2. My mom asked me to ______ after school.
3. She started to ______ when her toy broke.
4. When you agree to help, try not to ______.
5. The teacher asked us to ______ for our own work.

Answers

Exercise 1:

1. make
2. do
3. take
4. make
5. take

Exercise 2:

• 1. Make – b) a mistake
• 2. Do – c) homework
• 3. Break – a) a promise
• 4. Take – d) a picture
• 5. Make – e) an effort

Exercise 3:

1. make a mistake
2. do my homework
3. make a fuss
4. break a promise
5. take responsibility