A BIT OF GRAMMAR: MAKE vs DO

A BIT OF GRAMMAR: MAKE vs DO

1. CAN YOU WORK OUT THE RULE? LOOK AT THE EXAMPLES AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. THEN CHECK YOUR ANSWERS IN THE KEY.

• Can you do the shopping?
• Make a copy of this letter.
• Dad makes wonderful omelettes.
• Do something!
• Could you do the ironing and the washing up?
• He likes doing nothing.
• I love making model aeroplanes.
• I must do the accounts.
• I want time to do some reading.
• Once my father and I made a boat.
• Shall I make a cake?
• She´s always making crazy plans.
• He did something really funny.
• Time to do some work.
• We did a lot of walking and swimming.
• What shall we do now?

1. Do we use do or make to talk about work?

2. Which do we use to talk about building and creating things?

3. Which do we use when we don´t say exactly what the activity is?

4. Which do we use before determiner+ing form, to talk about longer or repeated activities (mostly jobs and hobbies)?

2. LEARN THESE FIXED EXPRESSIONS:

DO: good, harm, business, one´s best, (someone) a favour, one´s hair, one´s duty, 100mph/kph.

MAKE: an attempt, an effort, an offer, an excuse, a suggestion, a decision, an exception, enquiries, a phone call, a mistake, a fuss, a noise, arrangements, a journey, progress, money, a profit, a fortune, love, a bed, a fire, war, peace.

SOME EXAMPLES:

THINGS WE MAKE:

- make a mistake (an error)

• HE MADE A FEW MISTAKES IN THE EXAM.

- make a meal (prepare and cook something to eat)

• I HAD TO MAKE MY OWN DINNER LAST NIGHT.

- make money (become rich)

• HE MADE A LOT OF MONEY WHEN HE WORKED IN AMERICA

- make friends

• IT´S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO MAKE FRIENDS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

- make a decision

• WE CAN HAVE THE RED ONES OR THE GREEN ONES, BUT WE MUST MAKE A DECISION BEFORE 6 p.m.

- make a noise

• I CAN´T WORK WHEN THE CHILDREN MAKE A LOT OF NOISE.

- make progress (improve)

• HER ENGLISH IS GOOD NOW, SHE HAS MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS.

THINGS WE DO:

- do homework

• I FORGOT TO DO MY ENGLISH HOMEWORK LAST NIGHT.

- do the housework (cleaning)

• MY MOTHER DOES ALL THE HOUSEWORK IN OUR HOUSE.

- do subjects (study subjects)

• DID YOU DO ENGLISH AT SCHOOL?

- do a course

• I DID A ONE-WEEK COURSE IN WORD PROCESSING.

- do the shopping (buy food)

• I ALWAYS DO THE SHOPPING AT WEEKENDS

- do research (detailed study in one subject)

• HE´S DOING RESEARCH IN PHYSICS AT ROME UNIVERSITY.

- do someone a favour (do something to help someone)

• I DON´T HAVE ANY COFFEE. COULD YOU DO ME A FAVOUR AND LEND ME SOME?

- do something/anything/nothing

• I DIDN´T DO ANYTHING LAST NIGHT. THAT BOY HAS DONE NOTHING ALL DAY.