A blog to help secondary school students improve English. You can find mind maps, worksheets, videos and songs as well as some of the project works and activities done by the students.
Hello! My name's Liliana. I'm a teacher of English (Language and Literature) to Italian teenage stu
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Sunday, September 28, 2025
MAKE vs DO
The main distinction between the verbs do and make is that do generally refers to actions, tasks, or duties, especially those that are routine or non-specific, while make is primarily used to indicate the creation, production, or construction of something new, which can be tangible or intangible (an object, a decision, a noise, etc.).
However, both verbs also appear in many fixed expressions (collocations) that must be learned, as they don't always follow the general rule.
Examples of Collocations with Do
Actions, Tasks, or Obligations:
Do the dishes / the laundry / the ironing / the housework
Do your homework / an assignment / a job
Do a favor
Do business
General or Non-specific Activities:
Do something / nothing / anything / everything
What are you doing?
Do your best
Academic/Physical Activities (often routine):
Do a course / an exam / a test
Do exercise / yoga / karate
Do your hair / your nails / your makeup
More Collocations with DO (Actions, Tasks, Routine)
Theme | Collocation | Example Sentence |
Work/Study | Do research | I need to do more research before writing the final report. |
Do a degree/course | She decided to do a degree in engineering. | |
Do work/business | It's a pleasure doing business with you. | |
Routine/Chores | Do the cleaning/gardening | We spent the weekend doing a lot of gardening at the cottage. |
Do a good/bad job | The mechanic did a good job fixing the brakes. | |
Vague/General | Do well/badly | He did well in the final examination. |
Do without | We can't afford a new car, so we'll have to do without one for now. | |
Do the right thing | You should always try to do the right thing, even when it's hard. | |
Damage/Good | Do harm/damage | The fire did serious damage to the building. |
Do good | He volunteers at the shelter because he wants to do good for the community. |
Examples of Collocations with Make
Creation or Production (Food, Objects):
Make a cake / a sandwich / a cup of tea
Make breakfast / lunch / dinner
Make a dress / furniture
Communication or Sounds:
Make a phone call
Make a comment / a suggestion
Make a joke / a speech
Make a noise / a sound
Decisions, Plans, or Progress:
Make a decision / a choice
Make a mistake
Make plans / an arrangement / a reservation
Make progress / an effort
Make up your mind (meaning 'decide')
Money or Relationships:
Make money / a profit
Make friends
Make a promise
Make an excuse
More Collocations with MAKE (Creation, Result, Impression)
Theme | Collocation | Example Sentence |
Arrangements/Plans | Make an appointment | I have to make an appointment with the dentist. |
Make arrangements | Let's make the arrangements for the party next week. | |
Make a list | Please make a list of all the guests. | |
Progress/Change | Make a difference | Volunteering can make a difference in someone's life. |
Make a change | The manager decided to make a change to the schedule. | |
Make an effort | You have to make an effort if you want to succeed. | |
Relationships/Social | Make amends | He tried to make amends for forgetting her birthday. |
Make an impression | She was nervous about making a good impression at the interview. | |
Make peace | After the argument, the two neighbors decided to make peace. | |
General Result | Make a fortune/living | She makes a living as a freelance writer. |
Make a fuss | Stop making a fuss about a small mistake! | |
Choose the correct form of the verb (make or do) to complete each sentence. 1. I need to hurry up and ________ the laundry before it rains. a) make b) do 2. The company hopes to ________ a profit by the end of the fiscal year. a) make b) do 3. Could you ________ me a huge favor and pick up my mail while I'm away? a) make b) do 4. We are going to ________ plans to travel to Japan next spring. a) make b) do 5. He always ________ his best in every task he is given. a) makes b) does 6. If you want to succeed, you have to ________ an effort. a) make b) do 7. She loves to ________ her own jewelry and sell it online. a) make b) do 8. The teacher asked the student to ________ some cleaning around the classroom. a) make b) do 9. I'm sorry, I think I ________ a mistake on the first question. a) made b) did 10. What are you going to ________ about the noise from the neighbors? a) make b) do Answer Key
| Make your bed | Please make your bed before you leave the house. |