Fill in the blank with most appropriate collocation:
He always tries to __ a good impression during interviews.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
make
Explanation
The question tests the knowledge of collocations, which are natural combinations of words that habitually go together in the English language.
The standard, grammatically accepted phrase used to describe creating an impact or perception on someone is to "make an impression." While verbs like "do" or "build" might seem logically plausible to a non-native speaker, they are not used with the noun "impression" in standard English. Therefore, Option 3 is the correct choice.
The other options are incorrect because they form unnatural and incorrect word partnerships:
take does not collocate with impression in an active sense (though you can have an impression of someone).
do is a common trap, but we make an impression, just as we make a mistake or make a promise.
build is typically used with words like reputation, relationship, or trust, rather than a momentary impression.
Key Points
Collocations are a major scoring area in competitive exams. Memorize high-frequency verb-noun pairings for the verb make. For example, you always make an effort, make an excuse, make a phone call, and make progress.