Make or Do

Getting on unit 7 grade 9( make,do.be, have)

by Juliana B.A.

​COLLOCATIONS: MAKE and DO

Collocation refers to how words go together or form fixed relationships.

​Have

​Have’ is often used with fixed events, just like in the example above of having a party. 

Some common events used with ‘have’ include:

• A break: “I haven’t had a break all morning and I’m starving!”

• A meeting: “Let’s have a meeting to discuss the upcoming budget cuts.”

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner (meals): “Do you want to have lunch together today?”

• A holiday: “Lucy hasn’t had a holiday since 2010! She’s a workaholic!”

• An interview: “I have four interviews coming up this week. I’m so nervous!”

​‘have’ involve types of discussion or ways of speaking (often between two people), such as:

• A disagreement/an argument: “John and his neighbour had a disagreement after John parked in the neighbour’s parking space.”

• A chat: “We haven’t spoken in weeks! I’ll call you tonight so we can have a good chat.”

Do

​We often use ‘do’ when there is a particular task involved. Some common expressions relating to jobs relating to the home include:

• The housework (cleaning and tidying the house)

• Homework (work you do after school)

• The shopping (buying groceries – not clothes! That’s ‘go shopping’)

​Make

Make is commonly used when talking about what we are doing when we speak.

We make:

• A promise

• A deal/offer

• A statement

• A compromise

• A mistake/error

• A complaint

• An excuse

• A suggestion

• An apology

• A point/comment

• A threat

​We can also sometimes use it when referring to planned activities. First we make our plans, then we have them. For example, we make an appointment at the doctor’s office when we telephone to schedule a visit. Once that has been arranged, we have an appointment. 

Make is also used in other common set expressions:

• Make friends (before you have friends, you have to make them)

• Make time (if you make time for someone, you find an occasion where you are able to do something with them)

• Make progress

• Make peace

• Make money (again, before you have money, you have to make it!)

• Make a difference

• Make a wish

​Everyday verbs

• 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 lesson may seem more logical. 

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct collocation, do or make.

Did the fire _____ much damage to the factory?

• do

• make

Multiple Choice

We are trying to _____ improvements to the system for registering.

• do

• make

Multiple Choice

You must _____ an effort to work harder.

• do

• make

Multiple Choice

Do you think it would _____ any harm if I cut some leaves off this plant?

• do

• make

​Use a collocation with make and a noun instead of the underlined words in each of these conversations.

Look at the example!

A: The bill says we've had three desserts. We only had two.

B: The waiter must have been mistaken. 

Answer: make a mistake