Lars Eighner's Homepage Writers' Workshop FAQ: Q. Verbs of "Make" and "Take"?

Q. Verbs of "Make" and "Take"?

Several verbs, exemplified here by "make" and "take," tend to join with noun phrases to replace more precise verbs. A few examples should make the problem clear:

Weak forms with make

"to make (or take) a decision" ought to be "to decide,"
"to make a mistake" ought to be "to err,"
"to make progress" ought to be "to progress,"
"to make use of" ought to be "to use," and often can be further revised, for "to use a shovel" should be "to dig" if the shovel is used in the usual way,
"to make humble" ought to be "to humble,"

Signs of the weak form are that the verbs do not have their literal sense and that they are coupled with abstract nouns. In the above examples, nothing really is "made" in the sense that one can make a pot from a lump of clay. "Make" is not so bad when it has its literal sense, but even then sometimes a more precise verb can be found: pots are thrown and "tat" might be a better verb for "make lace."

Other verbs form similar weak expressions

Several other verbs are prone to weak expressions that are similar:

"to lose strength" ought to be "to weaken,"
"to have a thirst" ought to be "to thirst,"
"to have a suspicion" should be "to suspect"
"to employ a needle" ought to be "to sew,"
"to become healthy again" ought to be "to recover" or "to heal,"
"to take heed" should be "to heed"
"to take a trip" should be "to travel"
"to take a fall" should be "to trip," "to fall," "to slip," and so forth
"to give a smile" should be "to smile"
"to give a hint" should be "to hint"

Once the weak expression is identified, further revision may be in order. When "hint" is substituted for "gave a hint," perhaps "suggested" or "implied" will appear as the solution.

Nouns derived of verbs can be a tip-off

Notice the number of nouns in the above weak expression which are derived of verbs. In some cases the noun and the verb have the same forms, but many times the noun endings such as "-ion" and "-ance" will reveal that the right verb has been displaced. "To erect an obstruction" (usually) should be "to obstruct," and "-ion" can indicate that. Likewise, "to pose a hindrance" might be better as "to hinder," and the "-ance" is the tip-off.

No listing of weak expressions such as these can be complete, but the following examples should be helpful in learning to recognize weak expressions. Although the examples generally are given in the present tense, the expressions should be revised when they occur in other tenses.