Common English Collocations with GIVE

• give (someone) a break
  Stop criticizing the person, or stop being so demanding/harsh to them.
  • I know he made a mistake, but give him a break - it's his first day on the job.
• give me a break / gimme a break
  This expression can be used to say "that's ridiculous" or "I definitely don't believe that."
  • You're going to read 5 books in a single week? Gimme a break! You don't have time for that.
• give (someone) the boot
  This expression can be used for firing someone (dismissing someone) from a job, often because the person did something bad. It can alse be used for ending a romantic relationship.
  • Karen wasn't performing well as a salesperson, so the company gave her the boot.
  • After Jane found out that John was cheating on her, she gave him the boot.
• give way
  This expression is often used when a structure collapses.
  • The roof of the old house gave way under the weight of the snow.
• give (someone) pause / give (someone) pause for thought
  This means to cause someone to hesitate, or to stop and think carefully.
  • It's a nice car, but there are some mechanical issues that give me pause.
  • When I turned 50 and realized I still hadn't persued my dreams, it gave me pause for thought.
• give (someone) a lift/ride
  This means to take someone in your car to their destination, because the person doesn't have their own transportation.
  • My car is being repaired, so my brother gave me a lift to work.
• give credence to
  To give credence to someone or something means to consider that person trustworthy - thinking you can believe that person/thing.
  • I don't give credence to any claim that hasn't been proven by science.
• give (someone) grief (about/over sth) This expression means to criticize, annoy, or hassle someone.
  • I lost some money gambling, and my wife has been giving my grief about it.
• give it time
  We say "give it time" when we want to tell someone to be patient, because in time things will change.
  • You just broke you ankle. I know you're anxious to get back to playing sports, but give it time.
• give it a rest!
  We use this expression to tell someone to stop talking about a topic that they are constantly talking about.
  • My uncle is constantly complaining about his problems. I wish he'd give it a rest!
• give (someone) your word
  To give (someone) your word means to make a serious promise.
  • Thanks for lending me your computer. I give you my word that I'll take good care of it.