Collocations: Verb + Noun — The Words That Travel Together (B1)

Collocations: Verb + Noun

The words that always travel together — get them right, sound natural

From Sourov’s world: In hospitality, you MAKE a reservation, TAKE an order, and SET the table. My first week at The Ivy in Sydney, I kept getting these wrong — I’d say “do a reservation” or “make an order” and my colleagues would wince. The words weren’t wrong individually, but they were wrong together. That’s what a collocation is: a pair (or group) of words that native speakers always use as a team.

📚 Word Focus

The four most common verbs in English collocations are MAKE, DO, HAVE, and TAKE. They don’t follow logic — you simply have to learn the pairs.

CCQ — Concept Check: Can you do a mistake? ❌ No — we MAKE mistakes. Can you make research? ❌ No — we DO research. The verb changes the meaning!

💡 Examples in Context

• Could you make a reservation for two at 8 pm? ✅
• I need to take an order from table seven. ✅
• She made an effort to arrive on time. ✅
• We did research before opening the new menu. ✅
• Let’s have a meeting about the new wine list. ✅
• ✗ He did a mistake with the bill. → He made a mistake with the bill. ✅

✏️ Quick Check

Choose the correct verb — MAKE, DO, HAVE, or TAKE:

1. Please ______ a seat and I’ll be right with you.
2. We need to ______ a decision about the new menu.
3. Did you ______ your best during the service tonight?
4. I forgot to ______ notes during the manager’s briefing.
5. Can we ______ a break? It’s been a long shift.

🗣️ Try It Yourself

Think about your typical day at work or at home. Write 3 sentences using collocations from this lesson — one with MAKE, one with DO, and one with TAKE or HAVE. For example: “This morning I made a decision to wake up earlier. Then I did some research for my project. I had a coffee break at 10 am.” Share yours in the comments!