Why do we “take a photo” but not “do a photo”? Or “take responsibility” instead of “have responsibility”?
The reason is collocations—those natural word pairings that native speakers use without thinking. One of the most frequent verbs in English collocations is “take.” From taking action to taking a nap, this one little verb pops up everywhere.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through over 200 useful collocations with “take,” complete with categories, easy explanations, and practical examples.
What Are Collocations with Take?
Collocations are natural combinations of words that sound “right” to native speakers. When it comes to “take,” it’s almost always followed by a noun:
take + noun
Incorrect
She made a shower.
Correct
She took a shower.
Mastering these will make you sound more fluent, avoid awkward phrasing, and express yourself more clearly.
Why You Should Learn Collocations
- Boost your speaking and writing fluency
- Understand idioms and real-world English
- Avoid grammar mistakes and awkward phrases
- Sound more natural in conversations
Main Categories of Collocations with Take
- Daily Life & Routines
- Emotions & Reactions
- Health & Wellbeing
- Travel & Movement
- Time & Opportunities
- Responsibility & Decisions
- Communication & Education
- Business & Actions
- Crime & Law
- Idiomatic & Advanced Collocations
Collocations with Take – Daily Life & Routines
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take a shower | wash yourself | I usually take a shower in the morning. |
| take a bath | soak in a tub | She likes to take a bath to relax. |
| take a break | rest briefly | Let’s take a break before we continue. |
| take a nap | sleep briefly | I need to take a nap after lunch. |
| take a walk | go for a stroll | He took a walk in the park. |
| take a seat | sit down | Please take a seat and wait. |
| take a rest | rest physically or mentally | You should take a rest if you’re tired. |
| take a look | check or observe something | Take a look at this document. |
| take a photo | capture an image | Can you take a photo of us? |
| take a turn | do something in rotation | Let’s take turns driving. |
Collocations with Take – Emotions & Reactions
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take offense | feel insulted | He took offense at her comment. |
| take pleasure in | enjoy | She takes pleasure in helping others. |
| take pride in | feel proud of | He takes pride in his work. |
| take interest in | become interested in | I’ve taken an interest in photography. |
| take pity on | feel sympathy for | They took pity on the stray cat. |
| take someone seriously | believe/respect someone | You should take her seriously. |
| take something personally | feel hurt or attacked | Don’t take it personally. |
| take it easy | relax | You need to take it easy for a while. |
| take a liking to | begin to like | The dog took a liking to the new visitor. |
| take a dislike to | begin to dislike | She took a dislike to his attitude. |
Collocations with Take – Health & Wellbeing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take medicine | consume treatment | He took his medicine and felt better. |
| take a pill | swallow a tablet | I took a pill for the headache. |
| take your temperature | check body heat | The nurse took my temperature. |
| take care (of) | look after someone or something | I’ll take care of the kids. |
| take exercise | do physical activity | You should take more exercise. |
| take vitamins | consume supplements | She takes vitamins every morning. |
| take precautions | act carefully to prevent harm | Take precautions during the storm. |
| take deep breaths | breathe deeply | Take a deep breath and relax. |
| take therapy | attend mental health sessions | He’s taking therapy for anxiety. |
| take a test (medical) | undergo a check-up/test | She took a blood test yesterday. |
Collocations with Take – Travel & Movement
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take a bus | ride a bus | I usually take the bus to school. |
| take a train | ride a train | We took a train to London. |
| take a flight | travel by airplane | He took a flight to Dubai. |
| take a taxi | ride in a cab | Let’s take a taxi there. |
| take a trip | go on a journey | We’re taking a trip to the mountains. |
| take a ride | go on a ride | I took a ride around the city. |
| take a route | follow a direction | We took the scenic route. |
| take a detour | go on an alternative path | We took a detour due to traffic. |
| take a wrong turn | make a mistake in direction | He took a wrong turn and got lost. |
| take off | when a plane departs | The plane took off on time. |
Collocations with Take – Time & Opportunities
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take your time | do slowly or carefully | Take your time with the report. |
| take time off | be absent from work | I’m taking time off next week. |
| take a moment | pause briefly | Take a moment to think. |
| take an opportunity | use a chance | He took the opportunity to speak. |
| take a chance | try something risky | She took a chance and applied. |
| take the time to | make an effort | Always take the time to check your work. |
| take a minute | pause for a short time | Can I take a minute to respond? |
| take a while | need time | It will take a while to finish. |
| take a shortcut | use a faster path | We took a shortcut through the alley. |
| take forever | take a long time | This traffic is taking forever. |
Collocations with Take – Responsibility & Decisions
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take responsibility | accept duty or blame | I’ll take responsibility for the mistake. |
| take control | manage or command | She took control of the situation. |
| take charge | be the leader | He took charge during the crisis. |
| take a decision | make a decision | We took a decision to postpone the launch. |
| take initiative | act without being told | You should take initiative more often. |
| take a risk | do something risky | Entrepreneurs must take risks. |
| take action | do something | It’s time to take action against corruption. |
| take steps | begin measures | We’ve taken steps to improve security. |
| take responsibility | own your role | You must take full responsibility. |
| take the blame | accept fault | He took the blame for the error. |
Collocations with Take – Work, Business & Education
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take a course | enroll in a class | I’m taking a course in graphic design. |
| take a test | do an exam | We have to take a test tomorrow. |
| take a class | attend a lesson | She takes dance classes on weekends. |
| take notes | write down information | Don’t forget to take notes during the lecture. |
| take a job | accept employment | He took a job in marketing. |
| take a position | accept a role | She took a position at a law firm. |
| take part (in) | participate | We all took part in the project. |
| take an exam | sit for a test | I’m taking my final exam next week. |
| take training | receive education or coaching | New staff must take safety training. |
| take on a task | accept a responsibility | I’ve taken on too many tasks. |
Collocations with Take – Crime & Law
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take a bribe | accept illegal money | The officer was fired for taking bribes. |
| take a statement | record someone’s words | The police took a statement from the witness. |
| take someone to court | sue someone | They’re taking him to court over the contract. |
| take the law into your own hands | act illegally | Don’t take the law into your own hands. |
| take legal action | start legal process | The company will take legal action. |
| take custody | get legal guardianship | She took custody of the child. |
| take an oath | swear legally or officially | He took an oath before testifying. |
| take a case | handle a legal matter | The lawyer took the case immediately. |
Idiomatic & Advanced Collocations with Take
| Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| take someone for granted | not appreciate | Don’t take her for granted. |
| take someone’s word | believe what someone says | I’ll take your word for it. |
| take something to heart | feel deeply affected | She took his words to heart. |
| take the lead | become leader | He took the lead in the discussion. |
| take the floor | start speaking | The speaker took the floor. |
| take a stand | defend a position | It’s time to take a stand. |
| take the plunge | commit bravely | I finally took the plunge and quit. |
| take sides | support a particular person | Don’t take sides in their fight. |
Quick List of 200+ Collocations with Take
- take a break
- take a rest
- take a seat
- take a walk
- take a step
- take a deep breath
- take a nap
- take a vacation
- take a holiday
- take a shower
- take a bath
- take a ride
- take a trip
- take a tour
- take a bus
- take a train
- take a taxi
- take a flight
- take a chance
- take a risk
- take an opportunity
- take a photo
- take a picture
- take a screenshot
- take a video
- take a turn
- take a moment
- take your time
- take it easy
- take action
- take responsibility
- take control
- take charge
- take notes
- take part
- take place
- take time
- take a call
- take a message
- take a test
- take an exam
- take a quiz
- take a class
- take a course
- take a lesson
- take a decision
- take a stand
- take a position
- take a job
- take a position
- take an offer
- take a role
- take a break from
- take a look
- take notice
- take care
- take care of
- take offense
- take sides
- take advantage of
- take interest in
- take pride in
- take pleasure in
- take credit for
- take the blame
- take the lead
- take the initiative
- take the opportunity
- take the plunge
- take the stage
- take the floor
- take the wheel
- take a back seat
- take a front row seat
- take a shortcut
- take a detour
- take a breather
- take cover
- take shelter
- take refuge
- take root
- take shape
- take effect
- take place
- take issue with
- take exception to
- take part in
- take aim
- take a hit
- take a beating
- take a fall
- take a shot
- take a bow
- take a knee
- take a dive
- take a stand on
- take a guess
- take a bite
- take a sip
- take a drink
- take a drag
- take a puff
- take a pill
- take medication
- take a dose
- take medicine
- take a blood test
- take a temperature
- take a sample
- take a reading
- take a measurement
- take attendance
- take a poll
- take a vote
- take stock
- take charge of
- take ownership of
- take the opportunity to
- take the time to
- take the liberty of
- take responsibility for
- take precautions
- take measures
- take steps
- take initiative
- take priority
- take notice of
- take note of
- take part in
- take pleasure in
- take pride in
- take interest in
- take offense at
- take revenge
- take cover from
- take orders
- take bribes
- take hostages
- take prisoners
- take notes on
- take credit for
- take the fall for
- take time off
- take leave
- take a sick day
- take a day off
- take maternity leave
- take paternity leave
- take someone seriously
- take someone for granted
- take someone to court
- take someone to dinner
- take someone home
- take someone’s advice
- take someone’s word for it
- take someone’s place
- take someone’s temperature
- take someone’s side
- take things personally
- take things slow
- take a chance on
- take a crack at
- take a jab at
- take a swing at
- take a hike
- take a leak
- take a stroll
- take a dump
- take a trip down memory lane
- take charge in an emergency
- take liberties with the truth
- take someone into consideration
- take something into account
- take a toll on
- take an interest in
- take offense easily
- take on a challenge
- take on a responsibility
- take on a task
- take on a new role
- take down notes
- take down someone
- take off your shoes
- take off the lid
- take off quickly
- take out the trash
- take out insurance
- take out a loan
- take out a mortgage
- take over a company
- take over responsibilities
- take up a hobby
- take up space
- take up time
- take up arms
- take after your mother
- take apart a machine
- take back your words
- take in a movie
- take in the view
- take in information
- take in a pet
- take in a refugee
- take to someone immediately
- take to the streets
- take to heart
- take up a cause
You can keep this list handy when studying or even turn it into flashcards!
Final Thoughts
Mastering collocations with “take” helps you sound more natural, express ideas clearly, and feel more confident in conversations. Whether you’re writing essays, chatting with friends, or giving presentations—these 200+ collocations have got your back.
Practice using them in real sentences. Try a few every day. And soon, they’ll feel automatic.