Speaking: Vocabulary for Speaking B1 - Lesson 5: Collocations (e.g., make a decision, take a photo)

Speaking: Vocabulary for Speaking B1

Collocations (e.g., make a decision)

Listen to the examples here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use common collocations with verbs like 'make', 'do', 'take', and 'have' to make your speaking sound more natural.

Words That Are Friends 🤝

Some words in English are like good friends—they are almost always found together. These natural word partnerships are called collocations. Learning them as a single "chunk" is a secret to sounding more fluent.

✅ Natural English

I need to make a decision.

❌ Unnatural English

I need to do a decision.

Your Collocation Toolkit

Here are some of the most common collocations. Try to learn them as one complete phrase. Click 🔊 to hear each one.

🤔

make a decision

🤦

make a mistake

📝

do homework

🤝

do a favor

📸

take a photo

☕

take a break

🎉

have a good time

💬

have a conversation

Pronunciation & Grammar Rules

🗣️ Pronunciation Focus: Stress in Collocations

In these "verb + noun" collocations, the main stress usually falls on the noun, not the verb. This helps the phrase sound like a single idea. Click 🔊 to hear the stress.

• make a deCIsion
• do your HOMEwork
• take a PHOto

💡 Grammar Rule: 'Make' vs. 'Do'

This is one of the most confusing pairs. Here is a simple rule of thumb:

Use MAKE for Creating or Producing Something New

• make a cake, make coffee, make a noise, make a mistake, make a decision

Use DO for Tasks, Jobs, and General Activities

• do homework, do the laundry, do business, do exercise, do a favor, do nothing, do your best

Practice Your Collocations 🎯

Activity 1: Choose the Correct Verb (Self-Check)

Complete the sentences with the correct verb: make, do, take, or have (use the past tense 'had' for #4). Type your answer and click "Check".

1. Don't a mistake on your exam!
2. Let's a break; I'm exhausted.
3. Could you me a favor and help me with this bag?
4. We went to a party last night and we a really good time.

Activity 2: Describe the Situation

What collocation would you use in these situations? Click "Show Answer" to check.

• You need to choose between studying in Battambang or Phnom Penh.
  Show Answer

  You need to make a decision.

• You want to remember a beautiful sunset at the river.
  Show Answer

  You should take a photo.

Vocabulary Reference

• Collocation | កន្សោមពាក្យ
  A natural combination of words that are frequently used together.
• to make a decision | សម្រេចចិត្ត
  To choose what you are going to do after thinking about it.
• to make a mistake | ធ្វើខុស
  To do something incorrectly.
• to do homework | ធ្វើកិច្ចការផ្ទះ
  To complete school work that you do at home.
• to do (someone) a favor | ជួយ (នរណាម្នាក់)
  To do something to help someone.
• to take a photo | ថតរូប
  To use a camera to create a picture.
• to take a break | សម្រាក
  To stop working for a short time to relax.
• to have a good time | កំសាន្ត​ឱ្យ​សប្បាយ
  To enjoy yourself.
• to have a conversation | មានការសន្ទនា
  To talk with someone.

Your Vocabulary Mission ⭐

This week, your mission is to think in chunks, not single words.

1. Listen for collocations in English songs or movies. Write down two examples that you hear.
2. Write one sentence about your life using a collocation from this lesson.

Example: "I need to do my homework tonight, but first I'm going to take a short break."