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The purpose of the present study is to explore English LVCs and account for their usage environment within the framework of neo-Gricean pragmatics. More specifically, we will provide the answers to the following three questions: (i) how do LVCs differ from their corresponding SVCs in interpretation? (ii) what contributes to the semantic properties of LVCs? and (iii) does the choice of light verbs affect semantic characteristics of the whole constructions? And then we will argue that the distribution of LVCs and SVCs is expected and explained by utilizing Levinson's principles of pragmatic inferences, especially the M-principle which operates in terms of alternates that contrast in form. What the M-principle predicts is that “prolix or marked expressions will tend to pick up the complement of the stereotypical extensions that would have been suggested by the use of the corresponding unmarked forms”(Levinson 2000:38). When it comes to English light verbs, what is said by the use of LVCs is that colloquialness / casualness of the construction is intended, and / or that its aspectual / durative properties are present.