Collocations with Make and Do
Make and do are very common verbs, but they are used with different nouns. These combinations are often fixed, so it is useful to learn them as whole collocations.
Collocations with do
We often use do for work, tasks, activities and duties.
- I have to do my homework before dinner.
- I usually do the housework at the weekend.
- Can you do the dishes after dinner?
- I try to do some exercise every day.
- Just do your best and don't worry about the result.
- Could you do me a favour?
Collocations with make
We often use make when we create, produce, cause or reach a result.
- She makes a lot of money from her business.
- We need to make a decision before Friday.
- Everyone makes mistakes when they are learning.
- Let's make a plan for the weekend.
- He made an effort to arrive on time.
- Please don't make so much noise.
Other common (but less literal) expressions using make:
- It's not nice to make fun of other people.
= laugh at or make jokes about someone - That doesn't make sense to me.
= be logical or understandable - You're making good progress with your English.
= improve or move forward - A small change can make a big difference.
= have an important effect
