A collocation is a pair or group of words that natives use together. They are often not logical — you just have to learn them as chunks. Getting them right is one of the fastest ways to sound natural.
make vs do
| make | do |
|---|---|
| make a decision, a mistake, an effort, progress, money, a phone call, sure | do homework, the dishes, business, research, your best, someone a favour, damage |
Other classic partners
- heavy rain, traffic, smoker — but strong tea, wind, opinion
- take a photo, a break, a chance, a look — have a shower, a rest, a chat
- catch a cold, a bus, a ball — miss the bus, a chance, someone
- pay attention, a visit, a compliment; keep a promise, a secret, in touch
Turkish speakers: watch the verb
Turkish often uses one verb (yapmak) where English needs two: karar vermek = make a decision, ödev yapmak = do homework, hata yapmak = make a mistake, fotoğraf çekmek = take a photo.
How to learn them
- Open a word and read its Collocations box and the example sentences.
- Save the whole chunk (make progress), not the single word.
- Try the Collocations section of Phrases & Expressions.