Collocations are words that usually go together in English.
Here we are going to look at words that go with 'mark' to make useful and popular expressions you will hear in social and professional contexts.
Mark an (occasion/festival)
When you 'mark an occasion/festival', you do something to recognize or celebrate it.
Examples
- It was our wedding anniversary today, so we had a nice meal to mark the occasion.
- Friday will be ten years to the day since I first opened this business. We will be marking the occasion with a special sale.
- Traditionally, one of the things people do to mark the festival of Holi is to light bonfires.
Mark (your) territory
If you 'mark your territory', you lay claim to a particular area, sphere, or space.
Examples
- You are the boss now. You should be marking your territory instead of letting others in the office influence your decisions.
- Gangs in that part of the city tend to mark their territory with graffiti.
- The two rival companies marked their respective territories and agreed to stick to them.
Marks the end of
If something 'marks the end of', it represents or signifies its conclusion.
Examples
- This large investment I've secured marks the end of my years of work to get my business up and running.
- Losing my job marked the end of my time in China. I will now return home with my family.
- Our profits increased last month, marking the end of a long run of heavy losses.
Leave your mark
If you 'leave your mark', you have a significant or lasting impact on something or somebody.
Examples
- The recession will certainly leave its mark on our business, so we must find a way to soften the blow.
- I wouldn't like to step down from this role without first leaving my mark on the company in some way.
- Maria was only in Ireland for a couple of months, but she certainly left her mark on me in that time. We became great friends.
(Hit/miss) the mark
If you were to 'hit/miss the mark', you would achieve/not achieve your intended result.
Examples
- Your speech really hit the mark. The audience loved it!
- We clearly missed the mark with that advertising campaign. Sales actually went down.
- Her criticism was obviously intended to hurt my feelings, but it ended up missing its mark because it did not bother me at all.