Practice
English practice: useful verb-noun collocations
Sign in to saveBefore the meeting, Maya took notes, made a decision, and gave her team an update. The nouns are ordinary, but English speakers usually pair each one with a particular verb.
Choose common B1 verb-noun collocations and use the complete phrase accurately in a clear sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
We need to make a decision soon. /wiː niːd tə meɪk ə dɪˈsɪʒ.ən suːn/
The short answer
Learn frequent verb-noun combinations as complete phrases. Say make a decision, take notes, do research, give advice, and have a conversation.
We need to make a decision before Friday.
Why it works: Decision commonly follows make, not do or take.
5 more examples
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The committee made a decision after lunch.
Use make with decision when people choose what to do.
Not this:The committee
took a voteafter lunch. What changes: Take a vote describes the process of voting. Make a decision describes the choice that follows. -
Please take notes during the presentation.
Take notes means write down useful information while you listen or read.
Not this:Please
make a noteof the deadline. What changes: Make a note often refers to one particular detail. Take notes can refer to a longer record. -
Our group is doing research on local transport.
Use do research for the work of finding and studying information.
Not this:Our group is
making a planfor local transport. What changes: Research gathers information. A plan sets out future actions. -
The pharmacist gave me helpful advice.
Advice is normally uncountable, so use some advice or a piece of advice rather than an advice.
Not this:The pharmacist
made a suggestion. What changes: A suggestion is one possible idea. Advice is guidance about what someone should do. -
We had a useful conversation on the train.
Have a conversation is a common way to describe talking with another person.
Not this:We
gave a short presentationon the train. What changes: A conversation is shared talk. A presentation is usually prepared for listeners.
Read the full guide
Start with the noun you want to use, then notice the verb that usually goes with it. Keep articles and plural forms where the phrase needs them: make a mistake, take some notes, do careful research. A collocation is easier to remember when you meet it in a full sentence instead of a word list.
Learn the whole phrase
A collocation is more useful when you remember it as a group of words. Do not learn decision alone if your aim is to talk about choosing something. Learn make a decision, then attach it to a real situation.
We made a decision about the venue.
Made changes with the past tense, but decision stays with the verb make.
Which verb usually completes ___ a decision?
Use make: make a decision.
Use make for creating results and choices
Make often appears when an action produces a result, choice, plan, effort, or mistake. The noun tells you what has been produced. These combinations are frequent in work, study, and daily life.
I made a mistake in the address.
A mistake is something created by an error, so make is the usual verb.
They are making plans for the holiday.
Making plans means preparing future arrangements.
Use take for notes, breaks, and actions
Take is common with notes, a break, a photograph, a seat, and other actions. The choice may not seem logical at first, which is why a complete phrase is more useful than a translation of take by itself.
I took notes while the guide explained the route.
Take notes means record information as you receive it.
Complete the sentence: After two hours of revision, take ___ break.
Use a: After two hours of revision, take a break.
Use do for work and activities
Do often describes work, activities, or tasks. You can do research, do homework, do the washing-up, and do your best. The noun after do identifies the work or activity.
She did some research before she wrote the report.
Research is the work of finding and studying information, so do research is the normal phrase.
Please do your best in the interview.
Do your best asks someone to make their strongest effort.
Use give and have in conversations
Give often introduces something offered to another person, such as advice, permission, help, or an answer. Have is common with experiences and social activities, including a conversation, a meeting, a rest, and a good time.
Could you give me some advice about the form?
Advice is guidance offered to another person. It is normally uncountable.
The two neighbours had a long conversation.
Have a conversation describes a shared exchange of words.
Notice grammar inside the collocation
The noun part of a collocation still follows normal grammar. Use a or an with a singular countable noun when needed, plural nouns for more than one item, and some with many uncountable nouns. You can say make a decision, take notes, and give some advice.
He gave us a useful piece of advice.
Advice is uncountable, so a piece of advice is correct for one item of guidance.
Which phrase is natural: do a research or do some research?
Use do some research. Research is usually uncountable in this meaning.
Before you go
Remember this
Learn a collocation as one piece of language: make a decision, take notes, do research, give advice, and have a conversation. Change the tense when you need to, but keep the usual verb with the noun. A short example will help the phrase stay in your memory.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: useful verb-noun collocations"
What is a verb-noun collocation?
A verb-noun collocation is a verb and noun that English speakers regularly use together. Examples include make a decision, take notes, do research, and give advice. Learning the pair as one phrase helps your English sound more natural.
The committee made a decision after lunch.
Why can I not choose any verb with a noun?
English often has a preferred verb for a familiar noun phrase. A different verb may follow grammar rules but still sound unusual to a fluent speaker. Record the usual combination with a sentence, rather than translating each word separately.
The committee took a vote after lunch.
What is the difference between make a decision and take a decision?
Make a decision is widely used in both British and American English. Take a decision is also used, especially in formal British English. For everyday B1 communication, make a decision is a reliable phrase to learn and use.
Please take notes during the presentation.
Do I say give an advice or give advice?
Say give advice or give some advice because advice is normally uncountable. When you mean one item, say give a piece of advice. You can also use countable words such as suggestion when you mean one possible idea.
Please make a note of the deadline.
How can I remember English collocations?
Keep a notebook of useful phrases with short examples from situations you understand. Group phrases by their verb, such as make a plan and make a mistake, then write a new sentence about your own life. Review the phrase as a whole each time.
Our group is doing research on local transport.