Common mistakes
Do or make: common English collocations in context
You can do your homework, but you make a plan. Both verbs are common, and the noun after them usually decides which one sounds natural.
Choose do for tasks and activities, and make for creating, producing, or arranging something.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
do / make /duː/ /meɪk/
The short answer
Use do for work, duties, activities, and general tasks. Use make when you produce a result, prepare something, or arrange a decision or plan.
I did the washing up while my brother made dinner.
Why it works: Washing up is a household task. Dinner is something prepared or produced.
5 more examples
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Rina does her homework before dinner.
Homework is an activity that Rina completes.
Not this:Rina
makes her homeworkbefore dinner. What changes: English normally uses do with homework because it is work or an activity, not a product being created. -
We made a list of questions for the meeting.
The group created a new list as a result of its planning.
Not this:We
did a listof questions for the meeting. What changes: A list is something you create, so make is the usual verb in this sentence. -
Please do the dishes after lunch.
Doing the dishes means carrying out the cleaning task.
Not this:Please
make the dishesafter lunch. What changes: Make the dishes would suggest producing dishes, not washing them. Use do for this household task. -
The manager made a decision after reading the report.
A decision is the result reached after thinking about a choice.
Not this:The manager
did a decisionafter reading the report. What changes: Decision collocates with make. It refers to reaching or forming a result, not completing a routine task. -
Leo did some exercise before work.
Exercise is an activity that Leo performed.
Not this:Leo
made some exercisebefore work. What changes: When exercise means physical activity, English normally uses do, not make.
Read the full guide
Ask a practical question before choosing the verb: is this an activity to carry out, or is it a result that someone produces or arranges? That question helps with many everyday phrases, even though a few collocations must simply be learned.
Use do for tasks and activities
Do is common when you talk about work that someone carries out. It often appears with homework, housework, exercise, business, research, and the washing up. These nouns name an activity rather than a new object that appears at the end.
I need to do some research before I apply for the course.
Use make for results and things you prepare
Make often points to a result. You can make a cake, a list, a plan, an appointment, a suggestion, or a decision. The result may be a physical thing, an arrangement, or an idea that did not exist in that form before.
Sam made an appointment with the dentist for Thursday.
Learn common household phrases as units
Some everyday phrases are easier to remember as a pair of words. We do the dishes, do the laundry, and do the cleaning. We make breakfast, make coffee, and make the bed. The general meaning can help, but the established phrase is what makes your English sound natural.
I did the laundry this morning. I made the bed before I left.
Notice make in fixed expressions
Several useful expressions use make even when nothing physical is produced. You make a mistake, make an effort, make progress, make sure, and make a phone call. Treat each one as a fixed combination and repeat it in a complete sentence.
Please make sure the window is closed before you leave.
Check the noun after the verb
You want to talk about preparing a meal for friends. Which verb belongs before dinner?
Use make: I am making dinner for friends. Dinner is something you prepare, so make is the normal collocation.
Before you go
Remember this
Use do for tasks, work, and activities such as homework, the dishes, and exercise. Use make for things you create or arrange, such as a list, a decision, or dinner. When a phrase does not fit the pattern, learn the usual verb together with the noun.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Do or make: common English collocations in context"
What is the main difference between do and make?
Use do for work, duties, and activities such as homework, cleaning, and exercise. Use make for a result, a prepared thing, or an arrangement, such as a list, dinner, or a decision.
Rina does her homework before dinner.
Do I say do homework or make homework?
Say do homework. Homework is work that you complete, so it commonly goes with do. You can say make a list for your homework when you create the list itself.
Rina makes her homework before dinner.
Why do we say make a decision?
English treats a decision as something reached or formed after thinking about a choice, so make a decision is the usual collocation. Do a decision is not standard English.
We made a list of questions for the meeting.
Is it do the dishes or make the dishes?
Say do the dishes when you mean wash them. Make the dishes would suggest producing plates or bowls. Do the dishes is a common household phrase to learn as a complete unit.
We did a list of questions for the meeting.
Are there exceptions to the do and make rule?
Yes. The broad rule helps, but many combinations are fixed. For example, English says make the bed, make a mistake, and make progress. Learn frequent verb-and-noun pairs together.
Please do the dishes after lunch.
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