Make, Do, Have, and Take – Meaning, Uses, and Examples

Make, Do, Have, and Take

Common Collocations, Examples, and Explanations

These four verbs are very common in English, but they are used with different nouns and expressions. Learn the most important combinations below.

Make

  • make a mistake (an error)
  • make a meal (prepare and cook something to eat)
  • make money (become rich / earn money)
  • make friends
  • make a decision
  • make a noise
  • make progress (improvement)

Make a mistake

She made a mistake on her math test. [Sie hat in ihrem Mathetest einen Fehler gemacht.]
Explanation: "Make" is used when creating or causing something. Here, "make a mistake" means causing an error through an action or decision.

Make a meal

He loves to make a meal from scratch every Sunday. [Er kocht jeden Sonntag gern eine Mahlzeit ganz von Grund auf.]
Explanation: "Make" is used for preparing and cooking food. You combine ingredients to create something to eat.

Make money

They made a lot of money investing in the stock market. [Sie haben viel Geld verdient, indem sie in den Aktienmarkt investiert haben.]
Explanation: "Make money" means to earn or generate income.

Make friends

It's easy to make friends when you join a club. [Es ist leicht, Freunde zu finden, wenn man einem Club beitritt.]
Explanation: "Make friends" describes forming new relationships.

Make a decision

We need to make a decision about where to go on vacation. [Wir müssen eine Entscheidung darüber treffen, wohin wir in den Urlaub fahren.]
Explanation: "Make a decision" means to choose between options and decide on a course of action.

Make a noise

Please don't make a noise while the baby is sleeping. [Bitte mach keinen Lärm, während das Baby schläft.]
Explanation: "Make a noise" means to produce a sound.

Make progress

You've made a lot of progress in your language skills. [Du hast große Fortschritte in deinen Sprachkenntnissen gemacht.]
Explanation: "Make progress" means to improve or move forward in a skill or activity.

Do

  • do homework
  • do the housework (cleaning)
  • do subjects (study subjects)
  • do a course
  • do the shopping (buy food)
  • do research
  • do someone a favor
  • do something / anything / nothing

Do homework

I need to do my homework before I go out. [Ich muss meine Hausaufgaben machen, bevor ich rausgehe.]
Explanation: "Do" is used for tasks or activities. Homework is a task you complete.

Do the housework

She does the housework every Saturday morning. [Sie macht jeden Samstagmorgen den Haushalt.]
Explanation: "Do the housework" means performing household tasks like cleaning and tidying.

Do subjects

He is doing three subjects at university this semester. [Er belegt dieses Semester drei Fächer an der Universität.]
Explanation: "Do subjects" means to study particular school or university subjects.

Do a course

I'm doing a course in graphic design. [Ich mache einen Kurs in Grafikdesign.]
Explanation: "Do a course" means taking part in and completing a structured program of study.

Do the shopping

We do the shopping every Friday afternoon. [Wir erledigen jeden Freitagnachmittag die Einkäufe.]
Explanation: "Do the shopping" means buying groceries or other necessary items.

Do research

They are doing research on climate change. [Sie forschen zum Klimawandel.]
Explanation: "Do research" means to investigate a subject carefully and systematically.

Do someone a favor

Can you do me a favor and pick up my mail? [Kannst du mir einen Gefallen tun und meine Post abholen?]
Explanation: "Do someone a favor" means helping someone by doing something kind or useful.

Do something / anything / nothing

I didn't do anything all afternoon. [Ich habe den ganzen Nachmittag nichts gemacht.]
Explanation: "Do" is often used with general actions when we do not name the exact activity.

Have

  • have a rest (relax / do nothing)
  • have food and drink
  • have a drink
  • have a bath / shower
  • have a party
  • have a baby
  • have a nice / great / terrible time

Have a rest

After the hike, we had a rest under a tree. [Nach der Wanderung haben wir uns unter einem Baum ausgeruht.]
Explanation: "Have a rest" means to take a break and relax.

Have food and drink

Let's have some food and drink before the movie starts. [Lass uns etwas essen und trinken, bevor der Film beginnt.]
Explanation: "Have" is used for consuming food or beverages.

Have a drink

Would you like to have a drink with me? [Möchtest du etwas mit mir trinken?]
Explanation: "Have a drink" means to drink something, often in a social context.

Have a bath / shower

I always have a shower after my morning run. [Ich dusche immer nach meinem Morgenlauf.]
Explanation: "Have a bath" and "have a shower" mean washing yourself.

Have a party

We're having a party for his graduation. [Wir feiern eine Party zu seinem Abschluss.]
Explanation: "Have a party" means to host or enjoy a social gathering.

Have a baby

She is going to have a baby in December. [Sie bekommt im Dezember ein Baby.]
Explanation: In this context, "have a baby" means to give birth or be expecting a child.

Have a nice / great / terrible time

We had a great time at the amusement park. [Wir hatten eine tolle Zeit im Freizeitpark.]
Explanation: "Have a ... time" means to experience something in a particular way.

Take

  • take an exam (also "do an exam")
  • take a photo
  • take a decision (also "make a decision")
  • take a shower (also "have a shower")
  • take a bus / train / plane / taxi

Take an exam

I'm going to take my driving exam next week. [Ich werde nächste Woche meine Fahrprüfung machen.]
Explanation: "Take an exam" means to sit for or participate in a test.

Take a photo

She took a photo of the beautiful sunset. [Sie hat ein Foto vom schönen Sonnenuntergang gemacht.]
Explanation: "Take a photo" means to capture an image with a camera.

Take a decision

It's hard to take a decision when both options are good. [Es ist schwer, eine Entscheidung zu treffen, wenn beide Optionen gut sind.]
Explanation: "Take a decision" is used in some varieties of English, although "make a decision" is more common.

Take a shower

I'll take a shower before we leave for dinner. [Ich werde duschen, bevor wir zum Abendessen aufbrechen.]
Explanation: "Take a shower" means to wash yourself. It is similar to "have a shower."

Take a bus / train / plane / taxi

We took a taxi to the hotel because it was raining. [Wir haben ein Taxi zum Hotel genommen, weil es geregnet hat.]
Explanation: "Take" is used for using a form of transport to go somewhere.
Collocation Master: Make, Do, Have, Take

Collocation Navigator

Mastering the "Big Four" English Verbs: Make, Do, Have, and Take

Make

a mistake a meal money friends a decision a noise progress U

Do

homework U the housework U subjects a course the shopping research U a favor

Have

a rest food and drink a drink a bath/shower a party a baby a great time

Take

an exam a photo a decision a shower a bus/train/taxi

Detailed Examples & Logic

Make (Focus: Creation/Result)

Make a mistake: "She made a mistake on her math test." Logic: Creating/causing an error through an action.
Make a meal: "He loves to make a meal from scratch." Logic: Preparing/cooking food from separate ingredients.
Make money: "They made a lot of money in stocks." Logic: Generating income or profit.

Do (Focus: Tasks/Activities)

Do homework: "I need to do my homework before I go out." Logic: Completing an assigned task or duty.
Do research: "They are doing research on climate change." Logic: Conducting a systematic investigation.
Do a favor: "Can you do me a favor and pick up the mail?" Logic: Performing an act of assistance.

Have (Focus: Experiencing/Consuming)

Have a rest: "After the hike, we had a rest under a tree." Logic: Experiencing a pause or state of relaxation.
Have a baby: "She is going to have a baby in December." Logic: The process of pregnancy or giving birth.
Have a great time: "We had a great time at the park." Logic: Experiencing an event with a specific feeling.

Take (Focus: Using/Participating)

Take an exam: "I'm going to take my driving exam next week." Logic: Participating in or undergoing an assessment.
Take a photo: "She took a photo of the beautiful sunset." Logic: Capturing an image using a device.
Take a bus/train: "We took a taxi to the hotel." Logic: Utilizing a mode of transportation.