Some of the most common verbs have and take are used with nouns like a shower, a drink.
| have | I need to have a coffee first. We had a drink last weekend. |
| take | I take a shower every morning. She took a shower after running this morning. |
These actions are called delexical verbs because the important part of the meaning is in the noun and not the verb.
An adjective is often placed in front of the noun.
Examples:
She took a hot shower after running.
She had an ice, cold drink.
The most frequently used delexical verbs are: have, take, make, and give.
Have
Have is used with: food and drink, talking, washing, resting, and disagreeing.
| food and drink | meal breakfast lunch dinner snack tea | They had a delicious meal after the concert. I’m full. I just had breakfast. Did you have lunch yet? I want to have dinner at that new restaurant. Have some snacks before you go. The visitors had tea instead of coffee. |
| talking | chat conversation discussion talk | John and I had a nice chat. You need to have a conversation with your parents. The manager and the team had a long discussion about the new project. I need to have a talk with you soon. |
| washing | bath shower wash scrub | She likes to have a bath after a long day at work. You should have a shower after doing exercise. She didn’t have time to have a wash because she woke up late. Your feet need to have a thorough scrub. |
| resting | break holiday rest | Have a break after you finish doing your homework. I need to have a holiday. I’m so tired. You need to have a rest when you are sick. |
| disagreeing | argument dispute fight quarrel | Evan had an argument with his brother. There has been a dispute between the two countries for a long time. My husband and I had a small fight last night. Siblings always have a quarrel. |
Have is also used with nouns formed from verbs.
Examples:
You should have a look at your new house.
They had a bite of the cheese.
We’re going to have a drink after work.
She had a listen to the new episode of the podcast.
The children had a swim on the beach last weekend.
Take
Take is used with: washing and resting.
| washing | bath shower wash | She likes to take a bath after a long day at work. You must take a shower after working out. She didn’t have time to take a wash because she woke up late. |
| resting | break holiday rest | Take a break after you finish doing your homework. I need to take a holiday. I’m so tired. You need to take a rest when you are sick. |
Take is also used with these words:
| care | I take care with the words I say to other people. |
| care of | She takes care of her young children. |
| a turn | The movie took a surprising turn. |
| turns | It was a very long drive so we took turns in driving. |
| trouble | It takes a lot of trouble to get to downtown because of traffic. |
| the trouble | She took the trouble to find out where he lives. |
| a chance | You need to take a chance on him. |
| a risk | When investing, you always have to take a risk. |
| a decision | They took a decision to move to the UK for better opportunities. |
| a photograph | I took a photograph of my grandmother with my camera. |
Take can also be used with nouns formed from verbs.
Examples:
They think we should take a look at the proposal before making a decision.
My grandparents take a walk at the park every day.
Are you going to take a swim in the sea?
Give
Give is used with: noises, facial expressions, hitting, affectionate actions, and talking.
| noises | cry laugh scream shout whistle | If you have a big problem, just give it a good cry. The audience gave the comedian a loud laugh. She gave a scream of delight when she saw her friend’s present. Let’s give a shout out to all the parents here. I don’t think he saw you. Give him a whistle. |
| facial expressions | smile grin look glance | The baby gave a happy smile. My son gave me a big grin when I told him we were going to Disneyland. They liked the house so they are going to give it a another look. She gave all of her fans one last glance. |
| hitting | kick punch slap push knock blow | She gave him a kick on the leg. She gave him a punch on the face. He deserves to be given a slap. My car won’t start. We need to give it a little push. When you are ready, just give us a knock. His rejection gave a blow to her confidence. |
| affectionate actions | hug kiss stroke | Give me a hug. She gave him a kiss. He gives his dog a stroke on the head. |
| talking | Advice Answer Information Interview Lecture News Report Speech Talk Warning | My mother gave me an advice about my problem at work. They gave a correct answer. The assistant gave me all the information I need. Did the mayor give an interview to the press? The professor gives lectures at the university. They gave me the good news. The police gave their report about the incident to their chief. She gave a speech about climate change. His parents gave him the talk about internet safety. Were the residents given a warning about the power blackout? |
Make
Make is used with: talking and sounds and plans.
| talking and sounds | Comment Inquiry Noise Point Promise Sound Speech Suggestion | She made a comment about his looks and he felt offended. The company is making an inquiry about the incident. Stop making so much noise. I think they are just trying to make a point. Do not make promises you can’t keep. The washing machine is making this weird sound. Have you made your speech for the rally tomorrow? If we want to see changes, we need to make some suggestions. |
| plans | Arrangements Choice Decision Plan Plans Appointment Date | I’m going to make arrangements for the event. You made your choice when you left your job. They need to make a decision ASAP. The team needs to make a good plan. I’m making plans with my parents for summer. She needs to make an appointment with her dentist. You need to make a date for your wedding. |
Go
Go is used as a delexical verb.
Examples:
Shall we go shopping in Paris?
My cousins and I went swimming.
They are going dancing tonight.
When talking about common activities, go is used with -ing verbs.
Examples:
They often go walking in the morning.
They go running together on the weekends.
My sister is not here. She has gone shopping.
Go for a is used with verbs related to moving such as jog, ride, swim, run, stroll, walk.
Examples:
She went for a quick job.
They went for a ride on on their motorbikes.
All I did on my vacation was go for a swim.
Do you want to go for a run later?
They went for a stroll downtown.
Do
Do is used with –ing nouns related to houseworks.
Examples:
It’s my turn to do the laundry.
The children did the washing up and I did the drying.
Do is also used with other nouns related to work.
Examples:
My parents are going to be late. They have a lot of work to do.
We need to do a few jobs around the family’s farm.
Do with nouns is used for obvious actions.
Examples:
You’ll have to do my hair before you go out for your date.
Have you done your makeup?