V+N collocations — make / do / take / have / pay
A collocation is a fixed pairing of a verb with a noun. Make a decision sounds right, do a decision sounds wrong — and there’s no rule explaining why. You memorize the pair as one unit.
In A2 you learned the core groups: make a mistake / do homework / take a shower / have lunch / get a job. At B1 the lists expand into the abstract space — emotions, business, relationships, social moves. These are the collocations that separate a textbook learner from someone who sounds like they actually live in the language.
This lesson is dense on purpose. Read it once, then come back and read it again next week. The point isn’t to memorize every item in one sitting — it’s to recognize them when you hear them and reach for them when you speak.
make — abstract creation, decisions, social acts
At A2 you learned make = create / produce. At B1 it spreads into mental and social acts: producing a decision, producing an effect, producing an impression on people.
| make + noun | Example |
|---|---|
| make a decision | We need to make a decision by Friday. |
| make a difference | One person can make a difference. |
| make an effort | I’ll make an effort to be more patient. |
| make a mistake | Everyone makes mistakes — that’s how you learn. |
| make progress | She’s making real progress in math. |
| make sense | That argument doesn’t make sense. |
| make a mess | The dog made a mess of the kitchen. |
| make an exception | I usually don’t, but I’ll make an exception. |
| make an impression | He made a great impression at the interview. |
| make a complaint | I’d like to make a complaint about the service. |
| make a phone call | Hold on, I need to make a quick phone call. |
| make money | She makes good money in tech. |
| make ends meet | They’re barely making ends meet this month. |
| make plans | Let’s make plans for the weekend. |
| make sure | Make sure the door is locked. |
| make up your mind | Just make up your mind already. |
| make your bed | Did you make your bed this morning? |
| make a fool of yourself | Don’t drink too much — you’ll make a fool of yourself. |
Note the pattern: make tends to attach to things you bring into existence — a decision didn’t exist before you made it; a complaint didn’t exist before you filed it; an impression didn’t exist before you produced one in someone’s mind.
Make ends meet is an idiom on top of a collocation: it means have just enough money to cover essential expenses. Make up your mind is also idiomatic — it means decide.
do — perform a task, conduct an activity
Do attaches to tasks, jobs, chores, and activities. The shape is: the activity already has a name, and you perform it.
| do + noun | Example |
|---|---|
| do business (with) | We don’t do business with that supplier anymore. |
| do (someone) a favor | Could you do me a favor? |
| do damage | The storm did serious damage to the roof. |
| do harm | A little honesty never did anyone harm. |
| do (the) laundry | I’m doing laundry tonight. |
| do (the) dishes | Whose turn is it to do the dishes? |
| do exercise | I try to do exercise three times a week. |
| do research | I’m doing research on B1-level idioms. |
| do well / badly | He did well on the exam. |
| do your best | Just do your best — that’s all anyone can ask. |
| do your hair / nails | Give me ten minutes to do my hair. |
| do time (in jail) | He did time for fraud. (informal) |
| do without | I can do without coffee for a day. (= live without) |
Do without is a phrasal-collocation: I can do without your sarcasm = I’d rather you stopped being sarcastic. Do time is American crime/prison slang.
take — accept, occupy, undergo
Take covers a wide territory: receiving (advantage, a chance), occupying (a seat, a break), undergoing (a class, an exam), and abstract acts (action, responsibility, sides).
| take + noun | Example |
|---|---|
| take action | We need to take action before it gets worse. |
| take a chance | I’m going to take a chance and apply. |
| take a chance on | The boss took a chance on me. |
| take a class | She’s taking a Spanish class this semester. |
| take advantage of | Take advantage of the free trial. |
| take a look | Can you take a look at this? |
| take a break | Let’s take a break — I’m exhausted. |
| take a shower / bath | I take a shower every morning. |
| take care | Take care! See you next week. |
| take care of | Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. |
| take notice (of) | Nobody took notice of him at the party. |
| take place | The wedding takes place in June. |
| take responsibility (for) | He took responsibility for the mistake. |
| take sides | I refuse to take sides in their argument. |
| take time | Healing takes time. |
| take turns | We take turns cooking dinner. |
| take it easy | Take it easy — it’s just a movie. |
| take it personally | Don’t take it personally — it’s not about you. |
Two patterns to notice. First, take a chance (general) vs take a chance on someone (= give them an opportunity). Second, take it easy and take it personally — fixed idioms with the placeholder it.
have — experience, possess, undergo
Have covers experiences (an argument, a chat, a good time), states (a problem, a feeling, an opportunity), and consumption (lunch, a coffee — A2 territory but still relevant).
| have + noun | Example |
|---|---|
| have a baby | They had a baby in March. |
| have a chat | Let’s have a chat about it. |
| have a conversation | We need to have a serious conversation. |
| have an argument | They had an argument over the bill. |
| have a feeling | I have a feeling she’s not telling the truth. |
| have a good time | Have a good time at the party! |
| have a headache / cold | I’ve had a headache all day. |
| have a meeting | I have a meeting at 3. |
| have a problem | Do you have a problem with that? |
| have an opportunity | I had the opportunity to meet her last year. |
| have a say | Everyone deserves to have a say in the decision. |
| have lunch / dinner / breakfast | Let’s have lunch on Friday. |
| have second thoughts | I’m having second thoughts about the move. |
| have trouble (V-ing) | I have trouble sleeping. |
Have a say = have the right to influence a decision. Have second thoughts = start doubting a decision you already made. Have trouble V-ing = struggle to do something — note the gerund: have trouble sleeping, not have trouble to sleep.
pay — compliment, attention, fines, dues
The non-money uses of pay trip up Russian speakers because Russian uses different verbs (обращать внимание, делать комплимент). In English, all of these collocate with pay.
| pay + noun | Example |
|---|---|
| pay attention (to) | Pay attention — this is important. |
| pay a compliment | He paid her a lovely compliment. |
| pay a fine | I had to pay a fine for parking. |
| pay a visit (to) | Let’s pay them a visit this weekend. |
| pay tribute (to) | The speech paid tribute to the founders. |
| pay the price (for) | He’s paying the price for staying up too late. |
| pay your dues | She paid her dues for years before getting promoted. |
| pay your respects | They went to the funeral to pay their respects. |
Pay your dues = work hard for years before being recognized. Pay your respects = honor someone (often at a funeral). Pay the price = suffer the consequences.
Confusion zone — wrong combos that sound off
Russian speakers commonly produce these wrong pairings. Each one has a fixed correct version.
| Wrong (calque) | Correct |
|---|---|
| make a sport | do a sport |
| do a decision | make a decision |
| do a mistake | make a mistake |
| do a shower | take a shower |
| make exercise | do exercise |
| make a question | ask a question |
| do a favor to me | do me a favor |
| pay a visit to him | pay him a visit or pay a visit to him (both OK) |
| make attention | pay attention |
| do a complaint | make a complaint |
| take a decision | make a decision (US) — take a decision is BrE/formal only |
There’s also a tricky pair around food:
- make breakfast / lunch / dinner = cook the meal. I’ll make dinner tonight.
- have breakfast / lunch / dinner = eat the meal. I had dinner at 7.
- do the dishes (after eating) = wash up. I’ll do the dishes.
So a full sequence: I made dinner, we had dinner, then I did the dishes. All three verbs, three different acts.
take a decision vs make a decision
In American English, you make a decision. Take a decision is British/formal English and sounds stiff in AmE.
- AmE: We made a decision. ✓
- BrE: We took a decision. ✓ (sounds bureaucratic in AmE)
Stick with make for American English.
Common Russian-speaker mistakes
- do a decision → make a decision. Russian принять решение tempts a calque.
- make exercise → do exercise. Russian делать зарядку uses делать which maps to either make or do — here it’s do.
- make a question → ask a question. Russian задать вопрос doesn’t translate verb-for-verb.
- do a shower → take a shower. AmE locks shower to take.
- make attention → pay attention. Russian обратить внимание needs the unrelated verb pay.
- have a complaint → make a complaint. The act of complaining is making; the state of having a grievance is have.
- take a decision in AmE — use make a decision.
- do a favor for me → do me a favor. Two-object pattern: do (someone) (something).
- have trouble to sleep → have trouble sleeping. Gerund, not infinitive.
- pay a visit for them → pay them a visit. Two-object pattern again, like do me a favor.
Summary
- make = bring into existence (decision, mistake, mess, impression, money, plans).
- do = perform a task or activity (chores, business, exercise, your best).
- take = accept, occupy, undergo (a chance, a class, action, responsibility, sides).
- have = experience or possess (a chat, a good time, an opportunity, a say, second thoughts).
- pay = transfer money OR a non-money act fixed by convention (attention, a compliment, a visit, your respects, the price).
- AmE uses make a decision, not take. Use take for take a chance, take a class, take action.
Next lesson: Adjective + noun collocations — strong, heavy, fast, deep, broad, narrow.
A2: Collocations — make, do, have, take, get B2: Academic and formal collocations