MAKE, DO AND TAKE: USES AND PHRASES ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE

 

ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE UNIT 81 MAKE, DO AND TAKE: USES AND PHRASES

 

A Things we make, do and take Common mistakes   We use all three of these common verbs with particular nouns. These word partners (collocations) are often different in other languages, so look at them carefully. I’ve made a mistake.                                 I’m afraid I haven’t done my homework. She took a photo of me this morning.     I haven’t done the housework yet. They made a big effort to finish the work.           The children are making too much noise. Sometimes two different verbs are possible. I’m just going to take/have a shower.             I’m doing/taking a Spanish course next month. Take/Have a look at these pictures.                I don’t do/take much exercise. We must make/take a decision. B Make Make can mean ‘to cause something to happen or cause a particular state’. I like Boris – he makes me laugh. It made them angry when Karen refused to help with the washing-up. Make can also mean ‘to force someone to do something’. My parents made me do my homework when I was a child. The police made us wait outside the main gates. If you make friends with someone, you get to know them and like them. I made friends with a couple of guys from Canada when I was on holiday. If you make up your mind, you decide something. He’s made up his mind to leave work at the end of next month. C Do We use do to describe a general action when we don’t know what it is, or there’s no noun. What shall we do this afternoon? Don’t just stand there, do something. If you do your hair / make-up, you make it look nice. I’ll just do my hair, then we can go out. If you do your best, you try as hard as possible. I’m not a good student, but I always do my best. D Take Take can mean to: • remove something from a place/person, e.g. I took the key out of my pocket. • remove something without permission, e.g. Someone has taken my pen. • accept something, e.g. Did he take the job they offered him? Do they take credit cards there? • write something down, e.g. I took notes during the meeting. The man took my name and address. • wear a particular size in clothes, e.g. I take size 43 shoes. If you take it / things easy, you relax and don’t do very much. I’ll take things easy today. If you take a break, you stop work and rest for a short period. Let’s take a ten-minute break. EXERCISES 81.1 Choose the correct verb(s). Sometimes both are correct. 1 Did he do / make many mistakes? 2 I couldn’t do / make the homework. 3 We must take / make a decision soon. 4 I want to do / make a course in English. 5 Could you take / have a look at this letter? 6 How many photos did they make / take? 7 I don’t often make / do the housework. 8 They did / made a lot of noise at the party. 81.2 What are the people doing in the pictures? 81.3 Replace the underlined word or phrase with a phrase including the verb in capitals. Keep a similar meaning. 1 I clean the flat at the weekend. DO _____ I do the housework at the weekend._______________ 2 They forced us to go. MAKE ___________________________________ 3 I’m trying as hard as possible. DO  ___________________________________ 4 OK, let’s stop work and relax for a bit. TAKE ___________________________________ 5 He is definitely trying. MAKE ___________________________________ 6 When are they going to decide? MAKE ___________________________________ 7 I’m going to relax and do nothing this weekend. TAKE ___________________________________ 81.4 Complete the sentences. 1 Someone _____took _____ my coat. It was here a minute ago and now it’s gone. 2 I’m tired of writing this report. I'm going to ____________ a break for ten minutes. 3 We ____________ friends with Andrés when we were in the same class last year. 4 I’ve ____________ nothing today. 5 If they offered him a job with more money, why didn’t he ____________ it? 6 Could you take a ____________ at my essay? I think there are lots of mistakes in it. 7 When he shouted out the wrong answer, it ____________ him look stupid. 8 What size do you ____________? 9 I’m putting on weight because I don’t ____________ enough exercise. 10 I’ve ____________ up my mind. I’m going to go to Thailand for my holiday. 81.5

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