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Collocations

Take a shower: meaning, examples and practice

Take a shower means to wash under a shower. The British variant have a shower, why make a shower and do a shower are wrong, examples and an exercise.

Take a shower means to wash your body under a shower. In British English, have a shower is just as common, and both are correct. The same goes for a bath: take a bath or have a bath.

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take a shower; have a shower (UK); take/have a quick/cold shower

  • I always take a quick shower after the gym before I go to the office.
  • The hostel had no hot water, so we had cold showers all week.
  • Can I have a shower before dinner? I've been travelling all day.

What changed

First versionI'll make a shower and then call you back.

RevisionI'll take a shower and then call you back.

Make and do can seem like all-purpose verbs, but shower goes only with take or have. Only one verb was changed; the rest of the sentence is correct.

Cambridge Dictionary

Shower can also be a verb: I showered and got dressed. It is shorter, but in conversation have or take a shower is more usual. If you are already under the water, say: I'm in the shower, I'll call you back.

Your turn

I'm all sweaty after my run, so I'm going to ___ a shower before dinner.

(have / do)

Show the answer

have — Of the two options, only have goes with shower; it is the British partner of take. A native speaker would hear do a shower as a mistake.

Think of coming home after a long journey or a workout. Write where you came back from and what you did right after your shower.

When I got back from a three-day hiking trip, I took a long hot shower and then slept until noon.

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