Collins Cobuild

Unit 56
Common verb + noun patterns
Main points
Examples are: ‘have a bath’; ‘give a shout’; ‘make promises’; ‘take
care’.
Common verbs are often used with nouns to describe actions.
You use ‘have’ with nouns referring to eating, drinking, talking, and
washing.
You use ‘give’ with nouns referring to noises, hitting, and talking.
You  use  ‘make’  with  nouns  referring  to  talking,  plans,  and
travelling.
1
 When  you  want  to  talk  about  actions,  you  often  use  common  verbs
with  nouns  as  their  object.  The  nouns  describe  the  action.  For
example,  if  you  say  ‘I  had  a  shower’,  the  noun  tells  you  what  the
action was. The common verbs have very little meaning.
I had a nice rest.
She made a remark about the weather.
The nouns often have related verbs that do not take an object.
Helen went upstairs to rest.
I remarked that it would be better if I came.

---

2
Different verbs are used with different nouns.
You use ‘have’ with nouns referring to:
meals:
breakfast dinner drink lunch
meal taste tea
talking:
chat conversation discussion
talk
washing:
bath shower wash
relaxation:
break holiday rest
disagreement: argument fight quarrel
trouble
We usually have lunch at one o’clock.
He was having his first holiday for five years.
3
You use ‘give’ with nouns referring to:
human
noises:
cry gasp giggle groan laugh
scream shout sigh whistle yell
facial
expressions:
grin smile
hitting:
kick punch push slap
talking:
advice answer example
information interview lecture
news report speech talk
warning
Mr Sutton gave a shout of triumph.

---

She gave a long lecture about Roosevelt.
4
You use ‘make’ with nouns referring to:
talking
and
sounds:
comment enquiry noise point
promise remark sound speech
suggestion
plans:
arrangement choice decision
plan
travelling: journey tour trip visit
He made the shortest speech I’ve ever heard.
In 1978 he made his first visit to Australia.
5
You use ‘take’ with these nouns:
care
chance
charge
decision
interest
offence
photograph
responsibility
risk
time
trouble
turns
He was taking no chances.
She was prepared to take great risks.
6
 You  use  ‘go’  and  ‘come’  with  ‘-ing’  nouns  referring  to  sports  and
outdoor activities.
She goes climbing in her holidays.
Every morning, he goes jogging with Tommy.
Note that you can also use ‘go for’ and ‘come for’ with ‘a jog’, ‘a run’,
‘a swim’, ‘a walk’.

---

They went for a run before breakfast.
Would you like to come for a walk with me?
7
 You  use  ‘do’  with  ‘-ing’  nouns  referring  to  jobs  connected  with  the
home, and nouns referring generally to work.
He wants to do the cooking.
He does all the shopping and I do the washing.
The man who did the job had ten years’ training.
He has to get up early and do a hard day’s work.
‘Do’ is often used instead of more specific verbs. For example, you can
say  ‘Have  you  done  your  teeth?’  instead  of  ‘Have  you  brushed  your
teeth?’
Do I need to do my hair?

---