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One of the first things I noticed when teaching collocations is that students often try to translate their native languages word-for-word. A student once asked, “Can I ‘make a question’?” expecting it to mean the same as her home language. The answer is no—in English, you “ask a question,” not “make” one. MAKE is a powerful verb with its own collocation patterns, and once you learn which nouns it naturally pairs with, you’ll sound far more natural in both writing and speaking.
You’ll covers 20+ essential collocations with MAKE, organised into three groups: actions you create, decisions and commitments you decide on, and money-related collocations. Each collocation includes real-world examples and a quick note on register (formal, casual, etc.). By the end, you’ll know exactly what you can “make” and what you can’t.
Key Takeaways
- MAKE = create, produce, or bring into existence. “Make a bed,” “make a mistake,” “make a mess.”
- MAKE often follows gerunds or nouns of action. “Make a decision” (not “make to decide”), “make an effort” (not “make to try”).
- Money collocations use MAKE heavily. “Make a profit,” “make a fortune,” “make money”—but you “earn a salary,” not “make” one.
- MAKE differs from SAY and TELL. “Make an announcement” means producing it; “announce” or “tell someone” means delivering it.
- Register varies by collocation. “Make peace” is formal/diplomatic; “make a fuss” can be casual or disapproving.
MAKE Collocations: Actions and Activities
Many MAKE collocations describe physical or concrete actions—creating, arranging, or organising something. These are usually neutral in tone and common in everyday English.
Creating and Arranging
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make a bed | Neatly arrange sheets, blankets, and pillows on a bed | Mum says I have to make my bed before I go to school. |
| Make a mess | Create an untidy or disorganised state | If rich kids make a mess, their servants tidy things up again. |
| Make a note (of) | Write something down so you don’t forget it | I’d better make a note of that, or I might forget. |
| Make a reservation | Book a seat, table, or room in advance | Shall I make a reservation for 8 o’clock at that Japanese restaurant? |
| Make an appearance | Show up; appear in a performance | We waited thirty minutes for the professor to make an appearance, then we went home. |
| Make contact | Get in touch with a person or organisation | After I get there, I’ll make contact with a number of local trading companies. |
Example in full context: “When I’m staying in a hotel, I always make my bed in the morning, even if housekeeping will visit later. When I check in, I make a reservation for an early dinner. If I’m expecting an important client, I’ll make contact with the reception desk beforehand to confirm the booking.”
Register tip: “Make a reservation” is the standard British and North American English. In American English, some people say “book a table,” which is fine, but “make a reservation” works everywhere.
MAKE Collocations: Decisions, Efforts, and Commitment
Many action-related collocations with MAKE describe mental or emotional effort—deciding, committing, and exerting yourself. These convey more abstraction than the physical collocations above.
Deciding and Committing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make a decision | Decide what to do | Have you made a decision yet? |
| Make a choice | Select one option from several | She made the difficult choice to leave her job for family reasons. |
| Make an effort | Put time and energy into doing something | You can’t learn a language without making an effort. |
| Make an excuse | Give a reason for doing something you shouldn’t or not doing something you should | He got to work late and made some excuse about being stuck in traffic. |
| Make a promise | Commit to doing something; vow | I made a promise to my daughter that I’d be there for her graduation. |
| Make peace | End hostilities; reach a peace agreement | Both countries can rebuild now that they have made peace with each other. |
Example in full context: “I made the decision to study English while living abroad. I made a promise to myself to make a real effort, even on days I didn’t feel motivated. My boss made an excuse when I asked for study leave, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I made a choice to look for a new job instead, and it was the right call.”
Emotional and Social Actions
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make friends | Form new friendships | Jenny finds it hard to make friends in a new city. |
| Make a fuss | Create unnecessary excitement or concern about something | I like people who achieve a lot without making a big fuss about it. |
| Make fun of (someone) | Tease or mock someone in an unkind way | The older kids made fun of him because of his accent. |
| Make a pass at (someone) | Flirt with someone | My best friend’s brother made a pass at me—he asked if I was single. |
MAKE Collocations: Money, Business, and Profit
MAKE is heavily used in financial and business contexts. These collocations focus on earning money, making profit, and financial transactions.
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make money | Earn income; gain profit | Most people work hard to make money and support their families. |
| Make a living | Earn money for the things you need to survive | It’s not easy to make a living when the economy’s so bad. |
| Make a profit | Gain money from business or investments after costs | Big companies employ smart accountants to ensure they make huge profits while paying little tax. |
| Make a fortune | Earn a very large amount of money | My uncle made a fortune in the software business. |
| Make an offer | State a price you’re willing to pay for something | He made a generous offer, but I had to turn it down. |
| Make a takeover bid | Attempt to gain control of a company | The company made a takeover bid for one of its rivals. |
Example in full context: “When I started my business, I wasn’t thinking about how to make a fortune. I just wanted to make a living doing something I loved. After three years, I was able to make a profit of 30% annually. A larger competitor made an offer to buy my company, but I wasn’t interested in a takeover bid at the time.”
Money distinction: You “make money” (earn profit), “earn a salary” (receive pay from a job), and “gain interest” (from savings). You don’t “make a salary,” and you don’t “earn a fortune”—use “make” for that.
Natural vs. Unnatural MAKE Collocations
Here are common mistakes where students try to use MAKE when another verb is needed:
| What learners say (wrong) | What native speakers say (right) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Make a question | Ask a question | MAKE is for creating things; ASK is for requesting information. |
| Make a joke | Tell a joke (or crack a joke) | MAKE doesn’t pair with “joke”; TELL does because you’re conveying it to someone. |
| Make a walk | Take a walk (or go for a walk) | MAKE doesn’t work here; TAKE is the collocation for walks, breaks, etc. |
| Make a cry | Cry (or shed a tear, or burst into tears) | You don’t “make” emotions; they happen to you. You can “cry” directly. |
| Make a salary | Earn a salary | EARN is for pay received from a job; MAKE is for profit or income from business. |
| Make knowledge | Gain knowledge (or acquire knowledge) | You can’t “make” abstract concepts like knowledge; you “gain” or “build” them. |
Common Mistakes with MAKE Collocations
✗ Incorrect: I made a question about the project.
✓ Correct: I asked a question about the project.
Why: “Make a question” is not a collocation in English. Use “ask a question” to request information.
✗ Incorrect: She makes a big fuss without doing a mistake.
✓ Correct: She makes a big fuss without making a mistake.
Why: You “make a mistake” (action), not “do a mistake.” MAKE pairs with the noun “mistake.”
✗ Incorrect: He made an effort but didn’t make progress.
✓ Correct: He made an effort but didn’t make progress. OR: He made an effort but didn’t achieve any progress.
Why: Both are technically correct, but “make progress” is the strong collocation. “Achieve” also works with progress.
✗ Incorrect: We made a walk in the park yesterday.
✓ Correct: We took a walk in the park yesterday.
Why: “Take a walk” is the standard collocation; “make a walk” is not used in English.
Dialogue: Two Friends Discussing Plans
Sam: I really need to make a decision about my holiday. Do you want to help?
Alex: Of course! First, you should make a list of places you want to visit.
Sam: I’ve made a promise to my family to take them somewhere warm. But I’m worried about making a profit on my freelance work if I take time off.
Alex: Don’t make excuses—just book the trip! You always make too much fuss about money.
Sam: You’re right. I’ll make a reservation this weekend. Want to come along?
Alex: I’d love to, but I need to make contact with my boss first about time off.
Quick Quiz
- Complete the collocation: “I need to _____ a decision about which university to apply to.” (make / do / take)
- Which is correct: “make a question” or “ask a question”?
- Fill in the blank: “After the argument, they decided to _____ peace.” (make / get / take)
- Choose the right phrase: “She _____ a lot of effort to improve her English.” (does / makes / takes)
- Which sentence is natural? (A) “I made a joke at the party.” (B) “I told a joke at the party.”
Answers: 1. make · 2. “ask a question” (not “make”) · 3. make · 4. makes · 5. (B) “told a joke” is the natural collocation.
Related Articles
- ↑ Master Pillar: English Grammar
- Common Collocations with HAVE
- Common Collocations with TAKE and GET
- Common Collocations with SAY, TELL, and ASK
- Phrasal Verbs in English
- ↑ Back to pillar: English Collocations (Pillar)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “make a mistake” formal or informal?
It’s neutral—used equally in formal and informal contexts. “I made a mistake on the application” is perfectly professional. The only time it might sound casual is in very relaxed speech (“Oops, I made a mistake!”).
Can I use “make a phone call” or should I say “make a call”?
Both are correct. “Make a call” is more common in modern English, but “make a phone call” is still widely used, especially by non-native speakers who want to be clear. The shorter “make a call” is considered more natural by native speakers.
What’s the difference between “make peace” and “reach peace”?
“Make peace” is the active, intentional collocation: both sides work together to end conflict. “Reach peace” is less common but suggests arriving at a peaceful state. “Make peace” is the standard collocation in English.
Why can I say “make a profit” but not “make a loss”?
Actually, you can say both! “Make a loss” is used in business English: “The company made a loss of £2 million last year.” It’s perhaps less common than “make a profit,” but it’s entirely correct.
Is “make an effort” used the same way in all English-speaking countries?
Yes. “Make an effort” is universal across British English, American English, and other varieties. It’s one of the most stable collocations in English.
Can I say “make a success”?
Not really. You can “make a success of something” (meaning to succeed at it): “She made a success of her business.” But you can’t just say “make a success” on its own. Use “achieve success” or “succeed” instead.
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