Make and Do

You are learning English as a foreign language and are faced with the challenge of using the right word combinations for both make and do. Your first language will affect your understanding of when to use each of these options for expressing performance or accomplishment in English. Make and do express the same thing, but are not interchangeable in most cases. You will need to practice so that the details of their use become familiar to you.  Below you will find lists of some of the more common collocations with make and do.

DO

• the shopping
• homework
• housework
• work
• the cleaning
• the cooking
• the laundry
• the dishes
• something
• nothing
• a good job
• business
• errands
• a favor
• a puzzle
• an exercise
• your best
• good
• harm
• well
• fine

MAKE

• progress
• a mess
• trouble
• war
• peace
• a change
• plans
• arrangements
• a phone call
• a difference
• a deal
• a scene
• an effort
• an excuse
• a mistake
• a noise
• trouble
• an offer
• a suggestion
• a speech
• a decision
• a choice
• the bed
• a dress
• money
• a profit
• friends
• food
• a meal