Do you "take" or "make" a decision . . .

It’s quite hard to pin down the nuance.

I do think you make a decision. But you can also take your choice.

Maybe the distinction is that in this context you can only ‘make’ something that doesn’t belong to you? “A decision” is neutral in ownership, but “your choice” is not.

Just an idea - haven’t thought about it too much!
 
Nitefly said:
It’s quite hard to pin down the nuance.

I do think you make a decision. But you can also take your choice.

Maybe the distinction is that in this context you can only ‘make’ something that doesn’t belong to you? “A decision” is neutral in ownership, but “your choice” is not.

Just an idea - haven’t thought about it too much!
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"Take your time."
"Make your choice."

I've never ever heard anyone say "take your choice," either. Or "take a decision." Where are people hearing these? UK or abroad?

Anyway, language doesn't always have hard and fast rules, it's evolved over centuries and can end up really convoluted.
 
An example of taking a decision.

Refferee shows me a red card, I take his decision as final.


An example of making a decision.

A player fowls another, I make the decision to show him a red card.


I don't see how taking a decision can be something you have decided yourself, it seems as if you are "taking it" therefore someone else is "giving it" ?

My English is terrible though so I could be wrong, but to me it makes the most logical sense.

"taking a decision" must be an americanism ?

TLDR:
You don't take a decision you make a decision.
You don;t take a shower, you have a shower.
You don't take a pee, you have a pee.
 
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Taking a decision implies there is a stash of decisions already preloaded (wherever that may be). Or you are taking it from someone else, that's not even a thing...

Making a decision implies you are making a single decision which is more accurate in almost all contexts.

Take sounds wrong and obtuse, don't do this.
 
FoxEye said:
"Take your time."
"Make your choice."
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Good point! I think the former is an English ‘nonsensical phrase’ (in that it makes no literal sense even though we all know what it means - take more / appropriate time) a bit like ‘going down the road’ and absolutely no grammatical rules apply to those. Probably sums up the thread in general!
 
Cooler running said:
. . . I personally say "I've decided that" or "The decision is", over the thread options.
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Have you never felt in a meeting like shouting

"For pity's sake, will one of you please MAKE a ******* decision and let the rest of us get on with some useful, remunerative work!"

. . . or, perhaps . . .​

"For pity's sake, will one of you please TAKE a ******* decision and let the rest of us get on with some useful, remunerative work!"

I know that I have
often
the former (option / choice) as it happens ;)​
 
stockhausen said:
Have you never felt in a meeting like shouting

"For pity's sake, will one of you please MAKE a ******* decision and let the rest of us get on with some useful, remunerative work!"

. . . or, perhaps . . .​

"For pity's sake, will one of you please TAKE a ******* decision and let the rest of us get on with some useful, remunerative work!"

I know that I have
often
the former (option / choice) as it happens ;)​
Click to expand...

I tell them what I've decided :p
If said place is a democracy then I guess I say what my vote is on the decision.
 
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