Some of the most powerful vocabulary boosters for IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE are high-frequency verb collocations such as make, do, take, and get. These versatile verbs appear in countless contexts across Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening, and mastering them is essential for achieving a natural, fluent style. In this post, you’ll discover the most useful collocations with these verbs, along with exercises and activities that will help you practice them for higher scores in both Writing and Speaking tasks.
Part 1: Collocations List
A. Collocations with MAKE
“Make” often implies creating, constructing, or producing something. It can also relate to actions that cause a reaction or result.
| Collocation | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make a decision | To choose after consideration. | We need to make a decision soon. |
| Make a mistake | To do something incorrectly. | It’s okay to make a mistake as long as you learn from it. |
| Make a phone call | To call someone on the phone. | I need to make a phone call to my boss. |
| Make an effort | To try hard to do something. | Please make an effort to arrive on time. |
| Make money | To earn money. | He started a business to make money. |
| Make progress | To move forward or improve. | We are making good progress on the project. |
| Make a complaint | To formally express dissatisfaction. | If the service is poor, you should make a complaint. |
| Make a difference | To have a significant effect. | Volunteering can really make a difference. |
| Make a noise | To create sound, often loud or unpleasant. | The neighbours were making a noise all night. |
| Make a reservation | To book a table, room, etc. | I’ll make a reservation at the restaurant for 8 PM. |
| Make a suggestion | To offer an idea for consideration. | Can I make a suggestion? |
| Make arrangements | To plan and organize details. | We need to make arrangements for the meeting. |
B. Collocations with DO
“Do” is generally used for tasks, jobs, chores, and activities that are unspecified. It often replaces other, more specific verbs.
| Collocation | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Do homework | To work on school assignments. | The children are doing their homework. |
| Do housework | To perform domestic chores (cleaning, etc.). | I spent the morning doing housework. |
| Do business | To engage in commercial transactions. | Our company does business with clients in Asia. |
| Do a course | To take a class or series of lessons. | She is doing a course in digital marketing. |
| Do research | To investigate or study a subject deeply. | Scientists are doing research on climate change. |
| Do your best | To try as hard as you can. | You don’t have to win; just do your best. |
| Do exercise | To engage in physical activity. | It’s important to do regular exercise. |
| Do a favour | To help someone. | Could you do me a favour and pass the salt? |
| Do damage | To cause harm. | The storm did a lot of damage to the roof. |
| Do your hair/makeup | To style your hair/apply cosmetics. | It takes her an hour to do her hair and makeup. |
| Do well/badly | To succeed/fail at something. | He did well in his exams. |
C. Collocations with TAKE
“Take” often involves removing something, accepting something, or participating in an action that requires time or a process.
| Collocation | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Take a break | To stop working for a short time. | Let’s take a break and have some coffee. |
| Take a photo | To photograph something. | Can you take a photo of us, please? |
| Take a shower/bath | To wash oneself in a shower/bath. | I usually take a shower in the morning. |
| Take a chance | To risk doing something. | I decided to take a chance and start my own business. |
| Take an exam/test | To sit and complete an exam. | Students will take the final exam next week. |
| Take action | To act in order to achieve something. | The government must take action on this issue. |
| Take care of | To look after someone or something. | I need to take care of my younger sister. |
| Take notes | To write down important points. | It’s useful to take notes during the lecture. |
| Take time off | To have a period away from work. | I need to take some time off to relax. |
| Take responsibility | To accept that you are accountable. | A good leader takes responsibility for mistakes. |
| Take a look | To examine or check something. | Can you take a look at this report? |
| Take place | To happen or occur. | The conference will take place in July. |
D. Collocations with GET
“Get” is a very common verb often meaning to receive, obtain, or become. It is frequently used in informal English.
| Collocation | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Get a job | To obtain employment. | After graduation, she managed to get a job in finance. |
| Get married | To become spouses. | They plan to get married next year. |
| Get ready | To prepare oneself. | I need to get ready for the party. |
| Get tired | To become fatigued. | If you don’t sleep well, you’ll get tired quickly. |
| Get permission | To receive authorization. | You must get permission to leave early. |
| Get home | To arrive at one’s house. | What time did you get home last night? |
| Get angry | To become annoyed or mad. | It’s not good to get angry over small things. |
| Get in touch | To contact someone. | I’ll get in touch with you next week. |
| Get lost | To become unable to find your way. | We got lost in the old part of the city. |
| Get better/worse | To improve/deteriorate. | I hope you get better soon. |
| Get a degree | To earn a university qualification. | He got a degree in Engineering. |
| Get divorced | To legally end a marriage. | Unfortunately, they decided to get divorced. |
