Grammar-Quizzes › More Practices › Writing Aids › Commonly Confused › Make vs. Do

Make vs. Do

Is it creating something or performing a job?

 

 

 

MAKE 

Make means to create or arrange something 

make a cakeMake a cake.  (create something)

Make dinnerHe is making a new dish (recipe).  (prepare something)

make a bedShe is making a bed.  (arrange something)
DO

Do means to perform or execute a job or plan.

just do itDo something!  (move, act, perform) 

do the dishesHe is doing the dishes.  (wash) 

do accountsHe is doing the accounts.  (performing the accounting job)
 

 

 

 

 

Make

Additional Meanings

 

 

 

VARIANT MEANING EXAMPLES

ERROR (expression)

I made a mistake.

GIVE   V.

He made a good speech.

PREPARE   v.

She made dinner.

ARRANGE, PUT TOGETHER v.

He is making travel plans (an itinerary).

EARN vs.

I'm trying to make a living.

BE LOGICAL (expression)

That doesn't make sense.

DO GOOD DEEDS (expression)

He wants to make a difference.

MOVE FORWARD, IMPROVE (expression)

I'm making progress.

TELL, GIVE, THINK UP (expression)

He made an excuse for being late.

DECIDE, FINALIZE (expression)

Make up your mind!

IMPRESS FAVORABLLY (expression)

He made an impression on us.

RECONCILED, GET BACK TOGETHER (expression)

Bill and his brother made up.

MANAGE, GET BY (expression)

We'll have to make do until Friday.

APPLY COSMETICS (expression)

She is making up her face.

SELECT WELL (expression)

Did you make a good choice.

SUCCEED (expression)

We made out well in the stock market.

COMPLETE LATE (expression)

I made up missing assignments.

STEAL (expression)

The burglar made off with my television.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do

Additional Meanings

 

 

 

VARIANT MEANING EXAMPLES

GREETING (expression)

How do you do?

OCCUPATION  v.

What do you do?

GREETING (expression)

How are you doing?

TRIES (expression)

He always does his best.  (tries) 

STYLE vs.

Are you going to do your hair?

MANAGE, SURVIVE, GET BY (expression)

Can you do without cigarettes.

PERFORM CHARITABLE WORK  (expression)

Do a good turn each day.

REPEAT (expression)

I had to do it all over.

DINE, EAT

Let's do lunch sometime?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make & Do

Causative Statements

 

 

 

MAKE

  CAUSATIVE – To force someone or something to do something

He made the children clean their rooms. 

She made me laugh with her joke. 

We made them try. 

They made him die. 
DO

 CAUSATIVE – To cause something to happen

He did me a favor.

She did  me wrong!

It will do you no wrong. (cause)

They did him in. (injure, cheat or swindle)
 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Mistakes

Errors and Solutions

 

 

 

ERROR SOLUTION

I made my best for my visitors.

I did my best for my visitors.

He made his examinations in June.

He took his examinations in June.

I did a plane reservation for my trip to Brazil.

I made an plane reservation for my trip to Brazil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Shoe Selection

High Heels
 

 

Make or Do?

Why can't shoe manufacturers ____ comfortable shoes for women?  I wish they would ____ us a favor and redesign shoes.  Can you imagine trying to ____ conversation in high heels while your feet are screaming-painful?  Can you imagine ____ing your work while standing on only half of each foot?

I have a hard time ____ing up my mind when I'm shopping for shoes—the cool-looking ones or the comfortable ones? Of course, it does not ____ sense to buy shoes that will hurt.  So why do they end up in my shopping bag?

Don't ____ the mistake of being a "fashion victim". 

Buy shoes that will not ____ harm to your feet.

Choose the shoes that will ____ you smile rather than grimace. 

____ a promise to be kind to your feet.

end up (V) –  arrive or conclude unexpectedly

fashion victim (expression) – a person who suffers in order to appear fashionable

grimace (V) – a facial expression showing pain; frown

manufacturer (N) –  a producer or maker of a product

rather than (prep) – and not

screaming (Adj) – shout (vocalize) a high pitch sound of pain

 

 

 

 

Select "make" or "do".

  1. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 1-10" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left  as you go.

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

Our Morning Pep Talk

Pep Talk
 

 

Read for Errors

Every morning, my brothers and I do our chores before we go to school.  We have to get up, do our beds and showers. We get dressed while Mom does breakfast. Then, we make the table and sit down and eat. Dad tells us to work hard in school and make all our assignments.

Also, he tells us not to be lazy and tell excuses. He says that when he was a child, his family had to make do with very little money. His father had to work hard to have a living. His family had to do without a lot of things they wanted. We always promise to do our best.

chore (N) – daily work; small task

even so (prep / adv.) – nevertheless, but still

pep talk (expression) – encouraging words that someone says to us before beginning something

 

 

 

 

Correct or Incorrect?

  1. Select a response correct or incorrect.
  2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 11-20" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left  as you go.

 

11.
Every morning, my brother and I do our chores before we go to school.

     

12.
We have to get up, do our beds and showers.

       

13.
We get dressed while Mom does breakfast.

     

14.
Then, we make the table and sit down and eat.

     

15.
Dad tells us to work hard in school and make all our assignments.

     

16.
Also, he tells us not to be lazy and tell excuses.

     

17.
He says that when he was a child, his family had to make do with very little money.

     

18.
His father had to work hard to have a living.

     

19.
His family had to do without a lot of things they wanted.

     

20.
We always promise to do our best.