This lesson deals with make and do, two verbs that many learners have problems with. If you remember that the basic meaning of make is about producing something and the basic meaning of do is about performing an action, then the collocations on this page may seem more logical.
1- Make
make arrangements for:
The school can make arrangements for pupils with special needs.
make a change / changes:
The new manager is planning to make some changes.
make a choice:
Amelia had to make a choice between her career and her family.
make a comment /comments:
Would anyone like to make any comments on the talk?
make a contribution to:
She made a useful contribution to the discussion.
make a decision:
I’m glad it’s you who has to make the decision, not me.
make an effort:
Michael is really making an effort with his maths this term.
make an excuse:
I’m too tired to go out tonight. Let’s make an excuse and stay at home.
make friends:
Caroline is very good at making friends.
make an improvement:
Repainting the room has really made an improvement.
make a mistake:
They’ve made a mistake in our bill.
make a phone call:
I’ve got to make some phone calls before dinner.
make progress:
Holly is making progress with all her schoolwork.
2- Do
do your best:
All that matters in the exam is to do your best.
do damage:
The storm did some damage to our roof.
do an experiment:
We are doing an experiment to test how the metal reacts with water.
do exercises:
We’ll do some exercises practising these collocations tomorrow.
do someone a good turn /do someone a favour:
Could you do me a favour and pick me up some milk from the supermarket?
Jess did me a good turn by lending me her car while mine was in the garage.
do harm:
Changing the rules may do more harm than good.
do your hair:
No, I’m not ready. I haven’t done my hair yet.
do your homework:
My son has to do his homework straight after school.
do the ironing/shopping/washing, etc.:
I’ll do the washing if you do the ironing.
do some work:
We’ll do some work on our project and then we’ll go to the cinema.
Tip
Notice all the patterns that you can see in these examples. For example, make a comment, make an excuse and make a contribution to a discussion are all connected with saying things. Noticing connections like this may help you to remember the correct collocation.
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