Grammar fix
make a profit
earn money
To get more money from selling something or running a business than you spent on it.
collocationB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
After a few months, the small café finally started to make a profit.
In my opinion, most companies aim to make a profit, but they should also consider their impact on society.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: The shop earned a profit.
Say: The shop made a profit.
You MAKE a profit; 'earn a profit' sounds unnatural.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
Natives 'make a profit' (or 'turn a profit'); 'generate a financial profit' is redundant and formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
make a profit
- make
- a healthy profit
- turn a profit
- at a profit