Podcast Summary: All Ears English Podcast | Episode 2567

Title: Make a Photo or Take a Photo?
Date: February 17, 2026
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

Episode Overview

This episode dives into one of the most common and confusing verb choices for English learners: when to use “make” versus “take” with common nouns—especially the phrase "take a photo" versus the direct-translation error "make a photo". Lindsay and Michelle explore how these verbs differ in English, why the confusion arises (especially for speakers of Romance languages), and offer practical advice for mastering these everyday expressions. Expect real-life stories, language insights, and helpful practice strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Real-life Inspiration: The "Make a Picture" Story

[02:26 - 04:14]

• Lindsay recounts a recent Italy trip where an expert English-speaking wine tour guide said, “Let’s make a picture,” instead of the native phrasing, “Let’s take a picture.”
  • Lindsay ([03:58]):
    “We knew exactly what he meant... we all got together, we had a beautiful photo, but it wasn’t quite right, Michelle.”
• The moment highlights how direct translation from other languages may cause errors, but still, the main point—connection—remains intact.
• Lindsay reflects on how moments like this illuminate the subtle boundaries of English fluency and the difference that small choices in wording can make.

Notable Quote:

“This is why we travel, right? Because we understand connection goes so much deeper than just the choice of words.”
— Lindsay [04:26]

2. The Grammar Breakdown: Why "Take", Not "Make"?

[04:14 - 07:11]

• Michelle explains that “take a picture” focuses on the physical act of capturing a photo, i.e., pressing the button.
• “Make a picture” in English suggests creating an image from scratch—like drawing or painting—not photographing.
  • Michelle ([06:17]):
    “Make a picture... to me this sounds more like... you’re creating a picture, maybe a drawing or creation.”
• The confusion often arises from direct translation, as many Romance languages use a single verb to encompass both “make” and “do”.

3. The Culprit: Translation from Romance Languages

[07:11 - 08:24]

• They analyze how languages like French (“faire une photo”), Spanish (“hacer una foto”), Italian (“fare una foto”), and Portuguese often use one general verb.
  • Lindsay ([07:50]): “In Spanish, the verb ‘hacer’... or in French, ‘faire’... These verbs tend to be used for make and do... So that’s our hunch, is that this is some kind of direct translation going on.”

Notable Quote:

“In English, we kind of have separate boxes for that.”
— Michelle [07:37]

4. The "Chunking" Solution: Learning Collocations

[08:24 - 09:44]

• Examples of “take” in expressions:
  • Take a seat, take a break, take a bite, take a shower.
• Learning collocations (word partners) is more effective than relying on grammar rules alone.
  • Michelle ([10:01]):
    “I just think it’s more useful... to memorize them and practice them... sometimes that’s just the best way.”

5. Deep Dive: Make vs. Take in Everyday English

[10:21 - 11:58]

• “Make” is about creating something new or causing something to happen:

  • make a friend, make noise, make the bed, make a change.

• “Take” is about experiencing, capturing, or physically acting:

  • take a shower, take a photo, take a break.

• Visual, memorable contrast:

  • Michelle ([11:04]):
    “You wouldn’t say, ‘take the bed.’ That means you’re picking it up!”

6. Common Collocation Pitfalls

[13:37 - 16:40]

• Common mistakes from direct translation:
  • “make a photo” (should be “take a photo”)
  • “make a break” (“take a break”)
  • “do a mistake” (“make a mistake”)
  • “make a party” (better: "have/throw a party")
  • “take a decision” (“make a decision”)
• Discussion about idioms and how some expressions are completely different in meaning:
  • Michelle ([14:24]): “Make a break for it — that’s different... Like, try to quickly run away.”
• Michelle points out ([15:02]) that the wrong verb can make a phrase incomprehensible to natives, as in “make a break”—“What is that?” while “take a break” is immediately clear.

Notable Quote:

“When you get the right chunk, you get the right verb with the noun, people understand you instantly.”
— Lindsay [14:35]

7. Role Play Practice

[17:03 - 18:38]

• Friendly dialogue demonstrates correct usage:
  • “I took so many pictures.”
  • “Did you make any decisions...?”
  • “I think I need to take a break from big decisions.”
  • “I went out and made some new friends at a meetup.”
• Decision fatigue is briefly discussed—making too many choices leads to exhaustion.

8. Learning Strategies & Final Takeaways

[19:51 - End]

• Don’t obsess over grammar rules; focus on learning “chunks” and practicing.
  • Michelle ([19:56]): “Don’t worry about this too much and don’t analyze it too much. Just learn the specific pieces and I think life will be a lot easier.”
• Think in English daily; practice using these collocations in real contexts.
  • Lindsay ([20:06]): “Get into thinking in English... start thinking in English so you’re starting to adopt these chunks properly.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “[Connection is] not about mistakes—it’s about connection, not perfection.”
  — Lindsay [03:56]
• “Learn the specific pieces and I think life will be a lot easier.”
  — Michelle [19:56]
• “Get into thinking in English...so you’re starting to adopt these chunks properly.”
  — Lindsay [20:06]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |------------------------------|-----------------| | Italy anecdote & topic intro | 02:26 – 04:14 | | Explanation of “take a photo”| 04:14 – 07:11 | | Translation issue analysis | 07:11 – 08:24 | | Learning in chunks strategy | 09:14 – 10:21 | | Contrasts: make vs take | 10:21 – 11:58 | | Common mistakes & idioms | 13:37 – 16:40 | | Role play | 17:03 – 18:38 | | Takeaways & listener advice | 19:51 – End |

Final Advice for English Learners

• Don’t translate word-for-word. Learn the natural collocations (“chunks”).
• Practice thinking in English for short stretches each day, focusing on common daily actions and the verbs that go with them.
• Remember: Communication and connection matter more than perfection. Native speakers will understand you even if you don’t always have the perfect verb—but learning the correct chunks will help you sound more natural.

Next Steps:

• Share your own experiences or confusing phrases with the hosts at support@allearsenglish.com
• Check out previous episodes, especially Episode 2565 (“Is English all Greek to you?”) for related content.
• Take the All Ears English fluency quiz to discover your current level: allearsenglish.com/fluencyscore

Closing Note:
Michelle wraps up with a bit of self-irony about not always making her bed, demonstrating again that real, imperfect habits are common—even for English teachers.