A collocation is a group of words that native speakers naturally put together. In English we "make a mistake" but "do the dishes." Many languages use one verb for both ideas, so learners translate and say "I did a mistake" or "I made my homework." People still understand you, but it sounds unusual. There is no perfect rule, so the best plan is to learn each verb with its partners as one chunk. In this episode: • Make: you create or cause something • Do: tasks, chores and work • Have: meals and experiences • Take: time, turns and short actions • Get: change and arrival • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: make dinner — cook dinner (neutral) make breakfast, make lunch — prepare a meal make coffee, make tea — prepare a drink make the bed — straighten the sheets and blankets make a mess — leave things dirty or untidy make a mistake — do something wrong make a decision — decide make a plan — plan something together make a phone call — call someone (neutral) make an appointment — book a time with a doctor or dentist make noise — be loud make money — earn money make friends — find new friends make sure — check that something is true Make sure the stove is off. — please check it do the dishes — wash the plates and cups do the laundry — wash the clothes do homework — schoolwork at home do chores — small house jobs do someone a favor — help someone Can you do me a favor? — a polite way to ask for help do your best — try as hard as you can do yoga, do a workout — exercise do your hair — style your hair do business — work with a company Season 2 · Real American English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — accent, everyday grammar, prepositions, articles, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.