- “Take” forms dozens of fixed collocations that cannot be swapped with “make” or “do” without sounding unnatural.
- Group collocations by theme (time, action, responsibility) to make them easier to remember.
- Many “take” collocations are standard in business English and formal academic writing.
- Always learn the correct preposition: take care of, take advantage of, take part in.
- Regular exposure and active production (writing your own sentences) are the fastest routes to fluency with collocations.
Why Collocations with “Take” Matter
The verb take is one of the most productive words in the English language. Unlike languages that use separate verbs for each distinct action, English combines “take” with nouns, adjectives, and prepositional phrases to create dozens of fixed expressions — each with its own meaning and register. Learners who try to rely solely on a dictionary often make the mistake of swapping “take” for “make” or “do”, which immediately sounds unnatural to native ears.
The good news is that collocations follow patterns. Once you understand the main categories — time, action, responsibility, opportunity, and care — you can predict and remember new collocations far more easily. This guide covers 50 essential “take” collocations organised by theme, with example sentences, usage notes, and tips on register. Whether you are aiming for B1 conversational fluency or C1 professional precision, these phrases will give your English an immediate boost. For broader vocabulary development, explore the LexFizz vocabulary section.
1. Take + Time Expressions
Time-related collocations with “take” are among the most frequent in everyday English. They appear in both casual conversation and professional communication, and they are especially important for B1–B2 learners building fluency.
Take a break
Meaning: to stop working or doing something for a short period.
Example: “You’ve been studying for two hours. Why don’t you take a break?”
This is one of the first collocations learners encounter and is used constantly in both formal and informal contexts. Note: take a breather is a more informal synonym.
Take your time
Meaning: to do something without rushing; to proceed at your own pace.
Example: “There’s no deadline — please take your time reviewing the document.”
This phrase is often used to reassure someone that speed is not required. In British English, it can also be used with mild sarcasm when someone is being too slow.
Take time off / take time out
Meaning: to have a period away from work or a regular activity.
Example: “She decided to take time off after the project to travel.”
Take time out can also mean to pause briefly in the middle of something: “Let’s take time out to discuss the main issues before we continue.”
| Collocation | Example sentence | Register |
|---|---|---|
| take a break | “Let’s take a break and continue after lunch.” | Neutral |
| take your time | “Take your time — accuracy matters more than speed.” | Neutral |
| take time off | “He took two weeks off after the merger.” | Neutral |
| take time out | “She took time out from her career to study abroad.” | Neutral |
| take a long time | “Learning a language takes a long time, but it’s worth it.” | Neutral |
| take turns | “Students took turns reading the passage aloud.” | Neutral |
| take ages | “It took ages for the system to load.” | Informal |
2. Take + Action Collocations
This category covers collocations where “take” is followed by a noun that describes a deliberate, purposeful action. These phrases are extremely common in formal writing, reports, and business communication. They convey energy and decisiveness, and learning them will significantly improve your written English at B2–C1 level. See also our guide to advanced English collocations for more patterns like these.
Take action
Meaning: to do something to address a situation, especially urgently.
Example: “The government must take action to address the housing crisis.”
This phrase is frequently used in news articles, political speeches, and formal reports. It emphasises the need for decisive intervention.
Take steps
Meaning: to carry out a series of planned actions to achieve a goal.
Example: “The company has taken steps to improve workplace safety.”
Unlike “take action”, “take steps” implies a structured, sequential plan. It is slightly more procedural in tone and common in policy documents and business writing.
Take measures
Meaning: to put specific policies or procedures in place, often to prevent something negative.
Example: “Schools are taking measures to reduce exam stress among students.”
“Take measures” often collocates with adjectives: take drastic measures, take precautionary measures, take temporary measures.
| Collocation | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| take action | “We need to take action before the situation gets worse.” |
| take steps | “The board has taken steps to reduce expenditure.” |
| take measures | “Emergency measures were taken to contain the outbreak.” |
| take part in | “Over 200 students took part in the competition.” |
| take a stand | “The CEO took a stand against discriminatory practices.” |
| take effect | “The new policy will take effect from 1 January.” |
| take place | “The conference takes place every two years.” |
| take an approach | “We decided to take a more collaborative approach.” |
Do not confuse take place (to happen/occur) with take part in (to participate). “The ceremony took place in the town hall” and “She took part in the ceremony” are both correct but mean very different things.
3. Take + Responsibility Collocations
Responsibility-related collocations are essential for professional communication, performance reviews, leadership contexts, and academic essays that discuss agency and accountability. Knowing these phrases will help you express complex ideas about who is responsible for what with precision and confidence.
Take responsibility
Meaning: to accept that you are accountable for something, whether positive or negative.
Example: “She took responsibility for the team’s results and proposed improvements.”
Take charge
Meaning: to assume control of a situation or group; to become the person in authority.
Example: “When the director was absent, the deputy took charge of operations.”
This phrase carries a sense of decisive authority. It is common in management and military contexts.
Take credit (for)
Meaning: to receive or claim acknowledgement for an achievement.
Example: “He was too modest to take credit for the project’s success.”
Contrast with take the blame, which means to accept responsibility for something negative.
| Collocation | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| take responsibility for | “Managers must take responsibility for their team’s performance.” |
| take charge (of) | “She took charge of the negotiations immediately.” |
| take credit for | “It’s important to take credit for your own ideas.” |
| take the blame (for) | “No one wanted to take the blame for the failed launch.” |
| take ownership (of) | “Employees are encouraged to take ownership of their projects.” |
| take control (of) | “The pilot took control and landed the aircraft safely.” |
4. Take + Opportunity Collocations
This category covers collocations that describe how people respond to possibilities, risks, and openings. Many of these phrases are used in motivational, entrepreneurial, and persuasive contexts, and they are valuable at both B2 and C1 level.
Take a chance
Meaning: to do something despite the risk of failure or a negative outcome.
Example: “She took a chance and applied for the director role, even with limited experience.”
Synonymous with take a risk, but slightly less formal and more idiomatic.
Take advantage of
Meaning: (1) to make good use of a situation or opportunity; (2) to exploit someone unfairly.
Example (positive): “Take advantage of the free trial period to practise every day.”
Example (negative): “He felt his employer was taking advantage of his willingness to work overtime.”
Take the lead
Meaning: to be first; to take initiative; to set an example for others.
Example: “The UK took the lead in developing renewable energy policy in Europe.”
| Collocation | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| take a chance | “Sometimes you have to take a chance to move forward.” |
| take a risk | “Starting a business always involves taking a risk.” |
| take advantage of | “Take advantage of every opportunity to speak English.” |
| take the lead | “She took the lead on the sustainability initiative.” |
| take the initiative | “Don’t wait to be asked — take the initiative and suggest ideas.” |
| take an opportunity | “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the entire team.” |
| take a gamble | “Investing in an unproven technology is always a gamble.” |
5. Take + Care Expressions
Care-related collocations with “take” describe attention, mindfulness, and looking after people or things. They range from everyday conversational phrases to more formal expressions used in professional or academic contexts.
Take care of
Meaning: (1) to look after someone or something; (2) to deal with or handle a task.
Example: “She stayed home to take care of her children during the school holidays.”
“Don’t worry about the invoice — I’ll take care of it.”
Take note (of)
Meaning: to pay careful attention to something, often because it is important or should be remembered.
Example: “Please take note that the deadline has been moved to Friday.”
This phrase has a more formal, directive tone. It is common in professional emails, notices, and announcements.
Take heed (of)
Meaning: to pay careful attention to advice or warnings (formal/literary).
Example: “Managers would do well to take heed of employee feedback.”
Take heed is more formal and literary than take note. It is most appropriate in academic writing or formal speeches.
| Collocation | Example sentence | Register |
|---|---|---|
| take care of | “Who will take care of the arrangements?” | Neutral |
| take note (of) | “Take note of the key vocabulary in bold.” | Neutral/formal |
| take heed (of) | “The report’s warnings should not be ignored.” | Formal |
| take account of | “The committee must take account of all stakeholder views.” | Formal |
| take into account | “Please take into account the budget constraints.” | Neutral/formal |
| take care | “Take care when crossing the road.” | Neutral |
| take precautions | “Travellers should take precautions in unfamiliar areas.” | Neutral |
Take into account and take account of are interchangeable in meaning, but differ in structure. “You must take into account all the risks” vs “You must take account of all the risks.” Both are correct and equally formal. Practise both so you can vary your writing style.
6. Business English Collocations with “Take”
Business English has its own repertoire of “take” collocations that appear in emails, presentations, meetings, and reports. Mastering these will raise your professional register noticeably and help you sound more confident in work environments. Use the LexFizz grammar resources alongside this article to practise sentence-level accuracy.
| Collocation | Business context example |
|---|---|
| take stock (of) | “At the end of Q3, we should take stock of our progress against KPIs.” |
| take on board | “We’ve taken your feedback on board and will revise the proposal.” |
| take a position (on) | “The board has not yet taken a position on the acquisition.” |
| take a decision | “The committee took a decision to postpone the launch.” |
| take a back seat | “After the rebranding, marketing took a back seat to product development.” |
| take priority | “Client satisfaction must take priority over internal processes.” |
| take a toll (on) | “Long working hours are taking a toll on employee wellbeing.” |
| take someone through | “Let me take you through the key findings of the report.” |
| take over | “The new CEO will take over from the founder in March.” |
| take forward | “We need to identify which proposals to take forward.” |
Note that take a decision is common in British English (especially in formal and governmental contexts), while American English generally prefers make a decision. Both are understood internationally, but it is worth being consistent within a document or organisation.
Practise Collocations with Interactive Exercises
Reinforce these “take” collocations with LexFizz’s free vocabulary exercises — gap fills, flashcards, and word searches.
Go to Exercises →7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even advanced learners make predictable errors with “take” collocations. Understanding why these mistakes happen — often through interference from another language or confusion with “make” and “do” — helps you correct them permanently.
Confusing “take” with “make”
This is the most common error. In many European languages, a single verb covers actions that English splits between “take”, “make”, and “do”. Key rules:
- We say take a break, not “make a break”.
- We say make a decision (neutral/AmE) but take a decision is acceptable in formal BrE.
- We say take a photo (or “take a picture”), not “make a photo”.
- We say take part in, not “make part in”.
Wrong preposition
Prepositions after “take” collocations are often fixed and cannot be changed. Common errors:
- take care OF (not “take care about”)
- take advantage OF (not “take advantage from”)
- take part IN (not “take part of”)
- take the blame FOR (not “take the blame of”)
- take credit FOR (not “take credit about”)
Confusing “take place” and “take part”
Take place means to happen or occur (no object needed): “The meeting took place on Monday.”
Take part in means to participate (requires an object): “She took part in the meeting.”
These cannot be swapped: “The meeting took part” is incorrect.
Using “take” where another verb is needed
Not every action uses “take”. Common collocations that use “do” or “make”:
- do homework / do the washing up / do exercise (not “take”)
- make an effort / make progress / make a mistake (not “take”)
- have a rest / have a look / have a meeting (not “take” in BrE conversation)
The best strategy is to learn collocations as whole chunks (the full phrase + a sentence) rather than trying to deduce the correct verb from grammar rules alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a collocation in English?
A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together in English and sound natural to native speakers. For example, we say “take a break” (not “make a break”) and “make a decision” (not “take a decision” in most contexts). Learning collocations rather than isolated words is one of the fastest ways to sound more fluent and natural in English.
What are the most common collocations with “take”?
The most common collocations with “take” include: take action, take a break, take care of, take advantage of, take responsibility, take a chance, take the lead, take note, take steps, take your time, take credit, and take the blame. These appear in everyday conversation, business communication, and academic writing alike.
What is the difference between “take action” and “take steps”?
“Take action” is a broad, general phrase meaning to do something to address a situation, often used in urgent or decisive contexts (e.g. “We must take action immediately”). “Take steps” implies a more planned, sequential approach with specific measures in mind (e.g. “We are taking steps to reduce costs”). Both are common in business and formal English, but “take steps” feels more procedural.
How do I use “take advantage of” correctly?
“Take advantage of” has two meanings. Positively, it means to make good use of an opportunity: “She took advantage of the free trial to improve her English.” Negatively, it means to exploit someone unfairly: “He took advantage of his colleague’s trust.” The meaning is usually clear from context. In professional writing, it is most often used in the positive sense.
Can “take” collocations be used in formal writing?
Yes, many “take” collocations are perfectly appropriate in formal and academic writing. Phrases like “take measures”, “take account of”, “take into consideration”, “take responsibility for”, and “take a different approach” are all standard in professional reports, academic essays, and business correspondence. Avoid very informal collocations like “take a breather” in formal contexts.
What is the difference between “take care of” and “take note of”?
“Take care of” means to look after someone or something, or to deal with a task: “She took care of the arrangements.” “Take note of” means to pay attention to something important, often with the implication that you should remember or act on it: “Please take note of the new deadline.” Both are used in professional and everyday contexts but serve very different communicative functions.
How is “take the lead” different from “take charge”?
“Take the lead” means to go first or to set an example for others to follow, and often has a positive, proactive connotation: “She took the lead on the new project.” “Take charge” means to assume control or authority, sometimes in a decisive or even forceful way: “When the manager left, he took charge of the team.” “Take charge” implies stronger authority; “take the lead” implies initiative.
What are common mistakes learners make with “take” collocations?
Common mistakes include: saying “make a break” instead of “take a break”; using “take a decision” when “make a decision” is expected in American contexts; confusing “take part in” with “take place”; and saying “take the blame on” instead of “take the blame for”. Always check the correct preposition: take care OF, take advantage OF, take part IN, take credit FOR.
What level of English is needed to learn “take” collocations?
Basic “take” collocations (take a break, take care, take time) are suitable from A2–B1 level. More nuanced phrases like “take into account”, “take heed”, or “take the initiative” are aimed at B2–C1 learners. Business collocations such as “take stock of” or “take ownership” are most relevant from B2 onwards. This article covers the full B1–C1 range.
How can I practise “take” collocations effectively?
The most effective practice methods are: (1) Use flashcards with the full collocation and an example sentence, not just the verb; (2) Write your own sentences using each collocation in a meaningful context; (3) Notice collocations in articles, podcasts, and shows and record them; (4) Do gap-fill and matching exercises to test recall. LexFizz offers free vocabulary exercises where you can drill collocations interactively.