Do you know when to use do and when to use make when you’re speaking English? This can be a difficult topic for English learners, because many languages just have one verb for do and make. In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show, we’ll do some work to help you avoid making mistakes with do and make.
The Coffee Break English Show is a podcast series of informal conversations to help you understand some difficult topics in English! In the latest episode, Josie and Mark talk about when to use do and make.
There are some rules to follow, but as Josie and Mark explain during the episode, the best way to learn when to use do and make is to learn some fixed expressions.
So, let’s get started and look at the rules and expressions with do and make. Continue reading to find out more, and why not listen to the podcast as you go!
Make
We use make when we create or produce something. The result is usually something that we can see and touch. Here are some examples:
make dinner
I’m making pasta for dinner tonight.
make lunch
Mark made a salad for lunch.
make breakfast
My grandma makes pancakes for breakfast on Sundays.
make a coffee
Would you like me to make you a coffee?
make clothes
My brother makes his own clothes – he’s very creative.
make furniture
I made this table all by myself.
Do
We use do to describe actions. Let’s look at some examples:
do homework
The children are doing their homework.
do housework (e.g. do the laundry, do the dishes)
I don’t like doing housework.
do something
I’m bored – let’s do something fun!
do anything
Did you do anything yesterday evening?
do nothing
He loves doing nothing on Sunday mornings.
Fixed expressions with ‘make’
As we mentioned before, the best way to learn when to use make and do is to learn some fixed expressions. Here are five fixed expressions with make:
make a mistake
When you’re learning a language, you often make mistakes.
make friends
I made all my best friends at university.
make a decision
We need to make a decision about where to go on holiday this summer.
make plans
Have you made plans for the weekend yet?
make a mess
Please try not to make a mess in the kitchen!
Fixed expressions with ‘do’
Now you’ve seen some expressions with make, here are five fixed expressions with do:
do your hair / make-up
It usually takes her 10 minutes to do her hair in the morning.
do an exam
I did an exam yesterday, and I passed!
do exercise / sport
Do you usually do exercise in the morning or in the evening?
do the shopping
I’m going to the supermarket to do the shopping.
do research
She is doing research for her PhD at the moment.
Remember, there are many more expressions with make and do. It’s a good idea to make a list when you see or hear a new expression, to help you remember it.
Let’s review
If you found this post interesting, make sure you listen to the full podcast episode with Mark and Josie on The Coffee Break English Show. We will release more episodes soon, about some more useful topics! Subscribe to our podcast feed and our channel on YouTube to learn when the next episode is available.
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So, keep practising make and do! Remember that all English learners make mistakes, but people can usually still understand you. It’s all part of the language-learning journey. Why not make a coffee now and do some more research about make and do?
Happy Coffee Breaking!
