Level: beginner
We often use common verbs like have and take with nouns like a shower, a drink:
I took a shower. (= I showered.)
She had a drink. (= She drank something.)
We call these delexical verbs because the important part of the meaning is taken out of the verb and put into the noun.
We often put adjectives in front of the noun:
I took a cold shower.
She had a nice, refreshing drink.
The verbs used most frequently in this way are:
| have | take | make | give |
have
We use have with:
| have ... | |
|---|---|
| food and drink | a meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, a cup of tea |
| talking | a chat, a conversation, a discussion, a talk |
| washing | a bath, a shower, a wash, a scrub |
| resting | a break, a holiday, a rest |
| disagreeing | an argument, a dispute, a fight, a quarrel |
I had a good breakfast before I left home.
We had a long talk about the problem.
The kids should have a bath before they go to bed.
She generally had a short holiday in July or August.
They had a serious quarrel about their father's will.
We also use have with nouns formed from verbs:
I think you should have a look at this.
She had a bite of the cake.
I'm thirsty. I'm going to have a drink of water.
I had a listen to that new CD in the car.
They are going to have a swim.
- Delexical verbs 1: have
take
We use take with:
| washing | a bath, a shower, a wash |
|---|---|
| resting | a break, a holiday, a rest |
I always take a cold shower in the morning.
You look tired. You need to take a break.
and with these words:
| care care of |
a turn turns |
trouble the trouble |
a chance a risk |
a decision a photograph |
We took hundreds of photographs on holiday.
Jane always takes a lot of trouble with her homework.
We also use take with some nouns formed from verbs:
I think you should take a look at this.
Let's take a walk.
They are going to take a swim.
- Delexical verbs 2: take
- Delexical verbs 3: have and take
give
We use give with:
| noises | a cry, a laugh, a scream, a shout, a whistle |
|---|---|
| facial expressions | a smile, a grin, a look, a glance |
| hitting | a kick, a punch, a slap, a push, a knock, a blow |
| affectionate actions | a hug, a kiss, a stroke |
| talking | some advice, an answer, some information, an interview, a lecture, some news, a report, a speech, a talk, a warning |
She gave a loud laugh.
John gave a happy smile.
He gave me a nasty kick on the leg.
She gave the children a goodnight kiss and put them to bed.
I have to give a speech at the meeting tomorrow.
- Delexical verbs 4: give
make
We use make with:
| talking and sounds | a comment, an enquiry, a noise, a point, a promise, a sound, a speech, a suggestion |
|---|---|
| plans | arrangements, a choice, a decision, a plan, plans, an appointment, a date |
Try not to make a noise.
They made arrangements to meet the next day.
- Delexical verbs 5: make
- Delexical verbs 6: give and make
go
We also use go as a delexical verb:
Shall we go swimming this afternoon? Or shall we go for a walk?
Mum and Dad have gone shopping.
We're going dancing tonight. Do you want to come?
We use go with -ing verbs for common activities:
We usually go walking at the weekend.
He goes running every evening after supper.
Mum's out. She's gone shopping.
We use go for a with verbs to do with moving:
| a jog | a ride | a swim | a run | a stroll | a walk |
I want to get out of here. Let's go for a walk.
He's gone for a ride on his bike.
- Delexical verbs 7: go
do
We use do with -ing nouns to do with work, especially work in the house:
It's your turn to do the cooking.
You do the washing up and I'll do the drying.
and with other nouns to do with work:
I need to do a few jobs around the house.
I can't come out this evening. I have a lot of work to do.
We use do with nouns when it is obvious what the action is:
I'll have to do my hair before we go out. (= I'll have to brush my hair.)
Have you done your teeth? (= Have you cleaned your teeth?)
A question like
Have you done the car?
could mean
Have you washed the car?
Have you mended the car?
Have you put petrol in the car?
depending on the context.
- Delexical verbs 8: do
- Delexical verbs 9: go and do
Hello,
Is there any different between "we're going dancing tonight?" And " we're going to dance tonight?"
Thanks a lots.
Hello Miiin,
In terms of the time they are talking about and the speaker's way of viewing them, they are the same.
But there is a small difference in meaning between the two phrases. 'to go dancing' is an activity, like 'to go shopping', 'to go skiing', whereas 'to dance' is less specific.
So the first one would be better if it's talking about a plan for tonight. The second one could be used in many situations, but one, for example, would be when you've been wanting to dance with a person but haven't been able to yet -- perhaps you're both in a dancing class, but the other person has always had other partners and tonight you really want to dance with them.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Hello
I have a mobile phone (Meaning: There is a mobile phone with me now )
I had a mobile phone (Meaning: There was a mobile phone with me )
Is this correct ?
Also This meaning is both formal and informal ?
Hello HLH,
Yes, 'have' describes a present situation and 'had' describes a past situation.
You can use 'have' to mean that it is with you or that you own it - the context would clarify which.
There is no inherent formality to these sentences. They can be used in any context.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
Even though this is not the right session, could I ask you the difference between verbs like "Make, Have and Get" as causative verbs?
Especially in these cases:
To make somebody/something do something - Is it an expression of power?
To have somebody do something -- Is it just a form of request?
To get somebody/something to do something -- Is it a way to persuade somebody/something to do something?
Thanks for help.
Hi User_1,
Sure, no problem!
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hi Jonathan,
Now it is all clearer.
Thank you so much, I got it.
Hello, dear teachers and team!
Could you please help me with the following:
Is it correct to say "I have a good day" if talking about just one specific day? Or should I say "I had a good day" (if it is the end of the day) or "I've had a good day" (if it's about 7-8 p.m.) And could you please also tell me if it is possible to say "I've been having a good day" if I, for example, expect to have a good day until it ends.
I'm very very grateful for sharing your knowledge and helping me (in particular) a lot and thank you very much for your answer to this comment in advance!
Hello howtosay_.
The choice of verb form is as you say, though 'I'm having a good day' would be the correct form rather than 'I have...'.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Tim,
You've already posted this question on another page. Please post questions once only. Multiple posting like this only slows the reply process down.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Hemam,
The first sentence of this page doesn't mean that only 'have' and 'take' are used this way; it just gives two examples instead of all of them. If you read further in the explanation, you'll see that 'give' is also used as a delexical verb. There are examples of it being used this way in the table above.
People would understand 'give a look', but it sounds a little odd to me. I'd say 'have' or 'take' with 'a look'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
We sometimes use give with the noun verb look, I think it may be colloquial usage though. I've heard people say 'give it a look', as in 'I'll give it a look' or 'I'll look at it for you'. Similar expressions are 'give it a go' meaning try it, or 'give it a whirl', with the same meaning.
Hello xeesid,
In the context you provide, I think only the second one sounds a little odd as make suggests forcing someone to do something that they do not want to do. Even if a patient is unwilling, the sentence would not be formed in this way in a doctor's surgery.
Note that we would say the medicine in each case.
You could also say the following:
Most simply, you could say:
The context would make it clear that the patient should take the medicine rather than simply leave with the bottle!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Jostev
I'm not a lexicologist, but I believe this particular expression came in to use in the 1980s. Note that while it does mean 'have lunch', to my ears, at least, it makes the lunch sound like a task. Not necessarily a task that you don't want to do, just that there's some other motivation behind it than just getting together and socialising.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello PAVS,
Both 'take a decision' and 'make a decision' are correct. 'Make a decision' is a little less common, but is fine.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Abdo Hassan
Here, 'having' is part of the adverbial participle clause 'having never really lived'. It describes the manner in which such a person lives, i.e. he or she lives without really living. See our participle clauses page for more examples.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Marua,
Yes, 'make a right' is correct and natural. The other two phrases are a bit awkward -- I'd recommend 'take the first right' instead.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello amol,
You can check the meaning of 'have' in any dictionary.
The third-person form of 'have' is 'has', so for she we use 'has' rather than 'have'.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello zakarek,
Generally, we do not use articles with the names of meals. Thus we say
but we also say
However, when we use an adjective to describe the meal we use the indefinite article:
Both '...tea. and '...a tea' are possible but there can be a difference in meaning:
I'm having tea describes the 'meal', so to speak, rather than the beverage. In other words, this describes the tradition of sitting down to have a cup of tea, perhaps with cake, biscuits or a sandwhich, in the afternoon.
You can also say I'm having coffee with him tomorrow, which would refer to a meeting over coffee rather than a particular drink. Tea and coffee are the only words used frequently in this way; with other drinks we use 'a' (I'm having a beer with her tonight).
I'm having a tea describes the choice of drink. You might say this when choosing something from a menu, or when describing your activity on the phone to someone who cannot see what you are drinking.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team