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In my first week teaching English abroad, a student asked: “Can I make a friend at university?” I nearly corrected her — until I realized she was exactly right. In English, we don’t “do friends”; we “make friends.” That single verb choice often confuses learners because make has dozens of different uses depending on context. Without knowing make collocations, students sound awkward or imprecise.
Collocations are word pairs that naturally belong together. The verb “make” appears in over 50 common collocations in English, grouped across five categories: producing sound and speech, creating physical things, causing reactions, performing mental or intangible activities, and preparing food or arrangements. Learning these collocations helps you speak and write more naturally. Instead of saying “I created a decision,” you’d say “I made a decision.” You’ll teaches you 50+ make collocations organized by context, with real examples and practice.
Key Takeaways
- Make produces sound and speech — make a noise, make a speech, make a joke, make a phone call, make a comment.
- Make creates physical things — make money, make art, make a mess, make breakfast, make a cake.
- Make causes reactions — make you happy, make you sad, make your eyes water, make you sleepy.
- Make handles mental activities — make a decision, make a plan, make a mistake, make friends, make sense.
- Make prepares food and arrangements — make tea, make coffee, make lunch, make a reservation, make the bed.
Make Collocations: Category 1 — Producing Sound and Speech
The verb “make” combines with nouns to describe actions involving communication and sound production. These collocations describe how people express themselves verbally.
| Collocation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make a noise / a sound | To produce an audible vibration or noise | “Please don’t make noise in class; it disturbs other students.” |
| Make a speech | To deliver a formal address to an audience | “The company president made a speech about sustainability at the conference.” |
| Make a joke | To say something funny or humorous | “Harold always makes jokes, but his humor doesn’t land well with everyone.” |
| Make a phone call | To contact someone by telephone | “I need to make a phone call to confirm the appointment.” |
| Make a comment / remark | To express an observation or opinion | “The teacher made critical comments on my essay, suggesting more evidence.” |
Example 1: During the meeting, she made a surprising comment about the project timeline that nobody expected.
Example 2: The comedian made a joke about technology that made the entire audience laugh.
Make Collocations: Category 2 — Producing or Creating Things
These collocations describe the creation or production of tangible items, money, or artistic works. The meaning centers on bringing something new into existence.
| Collocation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make money / a profit / a fortune | To earn financial gain or income | “Big companies employ smart people to ensure they make substantial profits.” |
| Make art (music / paintings / sculptures) | To create artistic works | “He makes music from his basement studio, composing electronic beats.” |
| Make a mess | To create disorder or untidiness | “She didn’t like to make a mess while cooking; every tool had its place.” |
| Make love | To engage in physical intimacy | “Most couples feel nervous before making love for the first time.” |
Example 3: The painter makes sculptures from recycled materials, creating stunning environmental art.
Example 4: Small businesses often struggle to make a profit in their first year of operation.
Make Collocations: Category 3 — Causing Emotional or Physical Reactions
These collocations describe how actions or events cause others to feel certain emotions or experience physical sensations. Make functions as a causative verb.
| Collocation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make you happy / sad / smile | To cause someone to feel happy, sad, or to produce a smile | “He always makes you happy with his optimistic attitude and funny stories.” |
| Make you sleepy | To cause drowsiness or tiredness | “Warm milk before bed makes me sleepy within minutes.” |
| Make your eyes water | To cause tears due to irritation, emotion, or laughter | “The spicy pepper sauce will make your eyes water if you’re not careful.” |
| Make you nervous / anxious | To cause worry or unease | “Public speaking makes many people nervous, even experienced presenters.” |
Example 5: Her kind words made him smile after a difficult week at work.
Example 6: The tragic movie scene made several audience members cry quietly in their seats.
Make Collocations: Category 4 — Mental, Intangible, and Abstract Activities
These are among the most common make collocations, describing decisions, plans, relationships, and intellectual processes. This category is crucial for everyday English.
| Collocation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make a decision / your mind up / a choice | To reach a conclusion or select an option | “Have you made a decision yet about which university to attend?” |
| Make a plan / plans | To organize future actions or arrangements | “We’re making plans to travel to Australia next summer.” |
| Make an arrangement / deal / compromise | To organize something or reach an agreement | “I’m sure we can make an arrangement so both parties benefit.” |
| Make a mistake | To do something incorrectly; to err | “Whenever we make mistakes, our teacher corrects them constructively.” |
| Make a suggestion / a point | To offer an idea or emphasize something important | “She always makes useful suggestions during team brainstorming sessions.” |
| Make an effort / an excuse | To try hard, or to provide a reason for failure | “You can’t learn a language without making consistent effort.” |
| Make a complaint | To express dissatisfaction formally | “I made a complaint to the manager about the slow service.” |
| Make a difference | To have a significant impact or effect | “Higher wages would make a big difference to our quality of life.” |
| Make sure / peace / believe | To verify, establish peace, or pretend (various meanings) | “Make sure you turn off the lights before leaving the office.” |
| Make time | To find or create time for something important | “It’s important to make time to read to your children daily.” |
| Make friends | To form a friendship with someone | “Jenny finds it hard to make friends in new environments.” |
| Make sense | To be understandable or logical | “Her explanation finally makes sense after the second reading.” |
Example 7: The teacher’s feedback made sense once I understood the assignment requirements better.
Example 8: It took weeks to make friends in the new school, but eventually I found a close group of classmates.
Make Collocations: Category 5 — Preparing Food and Making Arrangements
These collocations describe food preparation and organizational tasks. They are among the most frequently used in daily English conversations.
| Collocation | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Make a cake / (a cup of) tea / coffee | To prepare baked goods or hot beverages | “Can you make a cake in the shape of Australia for the party?” |
| Make breakfast / lunch / dinner / a sandwich | To prepare a meal or light food item | “I’m making dinner — it will be ready in about ten minutes.” |
| Make the bed | To arrange bedding neatly after waking | “I always make the bed before breakfast; it helps organize my morning routine.” |
| Make a booking / reservation | To reserve a table, room, or service in advance | “Shall I make a reservation for 8 o’clock at that Japanese restaurant?” |
Common Mistakes with Make Collocations
✗ Incorrect: “I made a party last weekend.”
✓ Correct: “I had a party last weekend” or “I threw a party last weekend.”
Why: In English, you “have” or “throw” a party, not “make” a party. Make a party is incorrect English; these verbs are the standard collocations for parties.
✗ Incorrect: “She made a work very well.”
✓ Correct: “She did her work very well” or “She produced excellent work.”
Why: We use “do” for work and tasks, not “make.” Make is for creating objects and intangible things like decisions or arrangements.
✗ Incorrect: “I need to make a question about this topic.”
✓ Correct: “I need to ask a question about this topic.”
Why: The collocation is “ask a question,” not “make a question.” This is a common error among learners.
✗ Incorrect: “Can you make a help with this project?”
✓ Correct: “Can you help with this project?” or “Can you give me help?”
Why: We don’t “make help”; we “give help” or simply “help.” This is a direct assistance context requiring a different verb structure.
Make Collocations in Context: A Classroom Dialogue
Teacher: Class, today we need to make a decision about our final project. Any suggestions?
Ali: I’d like to make a presentation about environmental conservation.
Maria: That’s good, but can we make plans to work in groups? We’ll make better progress that way.
Teacher: Excellent point, Maria. Group work often makes a real difference in project quality. But remember not to make excuses if you miss a deadline.
Kai: When I make a mistake, can I revise it?
Teacher: Absolutely. Let’s make sure everyone understands the rubric. I’ll make it available online tomorrow. And make time to visit my office hours if you have questions — I’ll make coffee, and we can discuss your ideas.
Practice Quiz: Make Collocations
Quick Quiz
- Complete: “I need to __________ about which job offer to accept.” (A) make a decision (B) do a decision (C) make decide (D) do choose
- Which phrase is correct? (A) Make a work (B) Make effort (C) Make an effort (D) Make effort to do
- Complete: “Her presentation __________ sense and everyone understood.” (A) makes (B) makes the (C) makes a (D) make a
- Which is the best way to describe finding a new friend? (A) Make a friend (B) Do a friend (C) Make friendship (D) Create friends
- Complete: “Can you __________ a reservation at the Italian restaurant for tomorrow?” (A) do (B) make (C) create (D) prepare
Answers: 1. A (make a decision) · 2. C (Make an effort) · 3. A (makes) · 4. A (Make a friend) · 5. B (make)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between “do” and “make”?
Generally, “do” refers to actions or tasks (do homework, do work, do the dishes), while “make” refers to creating things or producing outcomes (make a decision, make coffee, make progress). There are exceptions and gray areas, but this distinction covers most common usage.
Can I use “make” for cooking?
Yes, “make” is appropriate for cooking and food preparation: make a cake, make breakfast, make coffee, make tea, make a sandwich. However, “cook” is also correct for prepared meals (cook dinner), and “bake” is specific to oven-prepared items (bake a cake).
Which make collocation is used most frequently?
“Make a decision” is one of the most common collocations in English. Other highly frequent ones include “make sense,” “make friends,” “make time,” “make sure,” and “make a mistake.” These appear regularly in academic, professional, and casual conversations.
Is “make love” appropriate for formal writing?
“Make love” is a standard English collocation, but it is more commonly used in informal, romantic, or personal contexts. In formal or academic writing, you might instead use terms like “engage in intimate relations” or simply avoid the topic entirely, depending on context.
Can I use “make” with abstract concepts?
Yes. Make is excellent for abstract concepts: make a difference, make an impression, make progress, make peace, make time. These collocations treat intangible ideas as if they were tangible objects being created or produced.
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