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Is there any difference in the level of formality, frequency of usage, etc?

Example sentences:

Never assume anything.

Never make any assumptions.

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I would say there are no differences in how formal these are; I would put both in an informal email or a formal report.

Frequency is tricky to answer, but both are common and there is no reason to use one over the other in particular situations.

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  • Can we generalize from there? Is using make + noun interchangeable with using a verb? E.g., make an announcement=announce, make possible = improve, make proposition=propose, make an offer=offer, make sure = ensure, etc. That is, they are comparably common and comparably formal. The only distinction I sense is, that the make + noun form is favoured when the object is none, that is, "he assumed that blablabla" and "he made an assumption [no object here]". Jun 30, 2016 at 8:35
  • I think, generally, yes. The only thing I would note is that when you use the noun form (e.g. 'declaration') then might be a slight change of meaning if the noun is a concrete thing. For example, 'to complain' might just mean a verbal declaration, but 'make a complaint' has a stronger sense of writing things down. Jul 4, 2016 at 7:58

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