30 Collocations with “Give”

30 Collocations with “Give” (Meanings & Examples)

Hello, English learners! 👋 Welcome to a new lesson.

The verb give is one of the most common verbs in English, but its meaning changes dramatically depending on the noun that follows it. Native speakers use collocations with “give” all the time — especially in spoken English, presentations, work situations, and exams.

In this lesson, you’ll learn 30 natural and useful collocations with “give”, each with a clear meaning and a natural example sentence.

Communication & Speaking

Give advice

Meaning: to offer suggestions or recommendations.

• Sandra always gives me good advice when I’m unsure what to do.

Give a speech

Meaning: to deliver a formal talk to an audience.

• He gave a powerful speech at the graduation ceremony.

Give a presentation

Meaning: to present information to a group of people.

• She gave a presentation on the new project at the meeting.

Give a lecture

Meaning: to deliver an educational talk, usually in an academic context.

• The professor gave a lecture on ancient history.

Give an interview

Meaning: to answer questions for the media or a job position.

• The actor gave an interview about her latest film.

Permission, Help & Support

Give permission

Meaning: to allow someone to do something.

• The teacher gave permission for the students to leave early.

Give a hand

Meaning: to help someone (informal).

• Can you give me a hand with these boxes?

Give a chance

Meaning: to provide an opportunity.

• He gave her a chance to prove herself in the new role.

Give support

Meaning: to offer help or encouragement.

• Her family gave her support during a difficult time.

Give attention

Meaning: to focus on someone or something.

• Please give your full attention to the instructions.

Information & Guidance

Give information

Meaning: to provide details or facts.

• Could you give me more information about the course?

Give instructions

Meaning: to explain how something should be done.

• The manager gave clear instructions to the team.

Give directions

Meaning: to tell someone how to get to a place.

• Can you give me directions to the nearest café?

Give an example

Meaning: to illustrate a point.

• Let me give you an example to make this clearer.

Give feedback

Meaning: to offer opinions or constructive criticism.

• The supervisor gave feedback on my report.

Emotions, Reactions & Social Interaction

Give a hug

Meaning: to embrace someone.

• He gave her a warm hug when they met.

Give a kiss

Meaning: to kiss someone.

• She gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Give a smile

Meaning: to smile at someone.

• He gave her a friendly smile as they passed each other.

Give a sigh

Meaning: to breathe out audibly, often showing relief or frustration.

• She gave a sigh of relief when she found her keys.

Give a compliment

Meaning: to say something positive about someone.

• She gave him a compliment on his new haircut.

Events, Actions & Activities

Give a gift

Meaning: to present someone with a present.

• They gave her a beautiful gift for her birthday.

Give a performance

Meaning: to act, sing, or perform in public.

• The band gave an outstanding performance.

Give a warning

Meaning: to alert someone to danger or problems.

• The lifeguard gave a warning about the strong waves.

Give credit

Meaning: to acknowledge someone’s contribution.

• We should give credit to the whole team.

Give birth

Meaning: to deliver a baby.

• She gave birth to a healthy baby girl last week.

Informal & Everyday Uses

Give a call

Meaning: to phone someone.

• I’ll give you a call later this evening.

Give a try

Meaning: to attempt something.

• He decided to give cooking a try.

Give a shout-out

Meaning: to publicly thank or mention someone (informal).

• She gave a shout-out to her colleagues during the event.

Give a tour

Meaning: to show someone around a place.

• The guide gave us a tour of the museum.

Give a toast

Meaning: to raise a glass to honour someone or something.

• He gave a toast to the newlyweds.

Final tip for learners

Collocations with “give” are extremely common and very natural. Learning them as fixed word combinations — rather than translating word by word — will help you speak more fluently, write more naturally and score higher in B2 First and C1 Advanced tasks.

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