ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)
UNIT 8
Make and verbs that
mean make
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A
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Common
errors with make
The Cambridge Learner Corpus shows
that some of the most frequent collocation errors made by candidates in advanced
English exams relate to the use of make. Here are some typical errors
and their corrections.
I would like to
I think that I could
I expect you to
There is still some way to go and lots
of improvements to
Thank you very much for
Sometimes candidates use make where
another verb is required. For example:
We’re going to
Lana
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B
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Other
expressions with make
It’s a good idea to make a habit of switching
off the lights when you leave a room.
If you always say exactly what you
think, you’ll make a lot of enemies.
The team made several attempts
to climb the mountain before they finally succeeded.
I hope that they’ll make a success
of their new restaurant business.
I have to go to a party for a colleague
after work but I will try and make an early escape.
Our research team has made an
important discovery about how whales communicate.
When doing your accounts, try to ensure
you make all the calculations correctly.
If we move the sofa closer to the
window, it’ll make room for the piano.
I first made his acquaintance when
he moved in next door. [formal: got to know him]
The house we looked at is just what we
want and we’ve decided to make an offer on it.
As no one else has any ideas, I’d like
to make a proposal. [make a formal suggestion]
We must make a stand against the
casino they propose to build here. [protest about]
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C
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Other
verbs that mean make
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EXERCISES
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8.1
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Are these sentences correct or
incorrect? If they are incorrect, correct them.
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8.2
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Complete each sentence using a word
from the box.
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8.3
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Replace make in each sentence with an alternative word. Then say whether
you have made the sentence more or less formal.
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8.4
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Rewrite each sentence using the word in
brackets.
Over to you
Make a point of looking back
through any pieces of your writing that a teacher has corrected. Have you
ever made any mistakes involving collocations with make? If so,
make an effort to use those expressions correctly in your next
assignment.
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ANSWER KEY
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8.1
1 Correct
2 Correct
3 The company director made a
formal apology for his earlier comments.
4 The manager had to make a number of
changes to office procedures in order to make all the improvements he had planned for the
company.
5 My sister made all the
arrangements for the party.
8.2
8.3
1 The Green Party plans to stage a
major protest against the government’s new farming policy. (more formal)
2 Tessa helped me to run up some
lovely cushion covers for my new flat. (less formal)
3 I regret to inform you that several
clients have lodged complaints about your conduct. (more formal)
4 You won’t create a good first
impression if you arrive late for your interview. (more formal)
5 It won’t take me long to rustle up
a meal for the children. (less formal)
6 Do you expect your business to turn
in a profit this year? (less formal)
8.4
1 At the meeting the chairman made a
rather interesting proposal.
2 I hope we can make an/our escape soon
as I’m terribly tired.
3 I’m reading a fascinating book about
how new words and phrases are coined to express new social and technical
needs.
4 We changed the layout of the hall to
create a more relaxed atmosphere for the yoga class.
5 I made several attempts to phone the
company at the weekend.
6 Kim made a very positive contribution
to the discussion.
7 The service was poor but I wouldn’t
go so far as to lodge a formal complaint.
8 I first made Roger’s acquaintance on
a train.
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