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English grammar

Make, do, take, give and the nouns they go with

B2 · Upper intermediate Verbs and time Questions 10

The rule

Collocation is the reason a sentence can be grammatically perfect and still wrong. You MAKE a decision, a complaint, an offer, an effort, progress and a mistake; you DO business, research, damage, your best and somebody a favour; you TAKE a decision (in British English), responsibility, action, a risk and somebody’s advice; you GIVE somebody a hand, a ring, notice and permission. There is no rule underneath this — it is a fact about each pair, and it is what native speakers notice first.

Pattern

make a decision / complaint / offer / mistake / effort / progress · do business / research / damage / your best · take responsibility / action / a risk · give notice / permission / a hand

Examples

  1. Nobody was prepared to take responsibility for the delay.

  2. We have made very little progress since March.

  3. The storm did a great deal of damage to the roof.

  4. They gave us a month’s notice in writing.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: She did a complaint about the noise.

    Right: She made a complaint about the noise.

    You MAKE a complaint.

  • Wrong: We must make an effort to do progress.

    Right: We must make an effort to make progress.

    You MAKE progress.

  • Wrong: He took a mistake in the second column.

    Right: He made a mistake in the second column.

    You MAKE a mistake.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Choose the correct sentence.

    1. They made an offer the same afternoon.
    2. They gave an offer the same afternoon.
    3. They took an offer the same afternoon.
    4. They did an offer the same afternoon.
    Show answer

    Answer: A They made an offer the same afternoon.

    MAKE an offer.

  2. 2Choose the correct sentence.

    1. We give business with them every spring.
    2. We do business with them every spring.
    3. We take business with them every spring.
    4. We make business with them every spring.
    Show answer

    Answer: B We do business with them every spring.

    DO business.

  3. 3Choose the correct sentence.

    1. Somebody has to give action before the winter.
    2. Somebody has to make action before the winter.
    3. Somebody has to do action before the winter.
    4. Somebody has to take action before the winter.
    Show answer

    Answer: D Somebody has to take action before the winter.

    TAKE action.

  4. 4Fill in the gap.

    He refused to _____ responsibility for the error.

    1. do
    2. make
    3. take
    4. give
    Show answer

    Answer: C He refused to take responsibility for the error.

    TAKE responsibility.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    Could you _____ me a hand with these boxes?

    1. make
    2. do
    3. take
    4. give
    Show answer

    Answer: D Could you give me a hand with these boxes?

    GIVE somebody a hand.

  6. 6Fill in the gap.

    The report _____ several recommendations.

    1. gives out
    2. does
    3. takes
    4. makes
    Show answer

    Answer: D The report makes several recommendations.

    MAKE a recommendation.

  7. 7Fill in the gap.

    She has _____ a lot of research on this.

    1. taken
    2. done
    3. given
    4. made
    Show answer

    Answer: B She has done a lot of research on this.

    DO research.

  8. 8Fill in the gap.

    They _____ us permission to use the side entrance.

    1. gave
    2. took
    3. did
    4. made
    Show answer

    Answer: A They gave us permission to use the side entrance.

    GIVE permission.

  9. 9This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. A decision has to be made today.
    2. We need to make a decision today.
    3. We need to do a decision today.
    4. We need to take a decision today.
    Show answer

    Answer: C We need to do a decision today.

    You make or take a decision, never do one.

  10. 10This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. The fire caused a lot of damage.
    2. The fire made a lot of damage.
    3. A lot of damage was done by the fire.
    4. The fire did a lot of damage.
    Show answer

    Answer: B The fire made a lot of damage.

    You DO damage.

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