What is difference between make and do?

Question: This week we answer a question from Hamza. He writes, “What is the difference between "make" & "do"? How and when should I use them?”

Answer:

Dear Hamza,

“Make” and “do” are similar verbs in English. There are some words that go together with “make” and others that go together with “do.” In other words, there are fixed expressions in English with both of these verbs, and you just have to learn them. But there are general rules you can follow:

• Use “make” for when you create or produce something.
• Use “do” for actions you must do, like jobs or work, and for general activities, especially activities you repeat often.

Let’s look at some examples of each verb.

Make

Here are examples of “make” for things we produce. These can be something you can touch, like food and drinks.

I made a cake for your birthday.

Please make some tea before you leave.

Sometimes you cannot see or touch the thing that is created.

Your dog is making too much noise.

We are making progress on our study.

She made plans to go to a movie with her sister.

Do

Let’s look at use of “do” for work or jobs. In another “Ask a Teacher” we talked about the questions, “What do you do? and “What are you doing?” Here are some other examples of using “do” to talk about work at home.

I have to do the planting every fall.

Mom says, “No TV until you do your homework.”

Another way to use “do” is with words like “something,” “anything” and “nothing.”

I did not do anything yesterday.

Are you doing something interesting over the holiday?

The police did nothing to stop the crimes.

Next time you are trying to decide between “make” and “do,” please keep these rules in mind. The more you listen to and read English, the easier it will be to choose between these verbs.

Do you have a question for the VOA English teachers? Please email us with your question. Our email is learningenglish@voanews.com.

I’m Jill Robbins.

Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

cake – n. a sweet cooked food, often eaten to celebrate something.

Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or email us at learningenglish@voanews.com

Above or over?

Across, over or through?

Advice or advise?

Affect or effect?

All or every?

All or whole?

Allow, permit or let?

Almost or nearly?

Alone, lonely, or lonesome?

Along or alongside?

Already, still or yet?

Also, as well or too?

Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)

Although or though?

Altogether or all together?

Amount of, number of or quantity of?

Any more or anymore?

Anyone, anybody or anything?

Apart from or except for?

Arise or rise?

Around or round?

Arouse or rouse?

As or like?

As, because or since?

As, when or while?

Been or gone?

Begin or start?

Beside or besides?

Between or among?

Born or borne?

Bring, take and fetch

Can, could or may?

Classic or classical?

Come or go?

Consider or regard?

Consist, comprise or compose?

Content or contents?

Different from, different to or different than?

Do or make?

Down, downwards or downward?

During or for?

Each or every?

East or eastern; north or northern?

Economic or economical?

Efficient or effective?

Elder, eldest or older, oldest?

End or finish?

Especially or specially?

Except or except for?

Expect, hope or wait?

Experience or experiment?

Fall or fall down?

Far or a long way?

Farther, farthest or further, furthest?

Fast, quick or quickly?

Fell or felt?

Female or feminine; male or masculine?

Finally, at last, lastly or in the end?

First, firstly or at first?

Fit or suit?

Following or the following?

For or since?

Forget or leave?

Full or filled?

Fun or funny?

Get or go?

Grateful or thankful?

Hear or listen (to)?

High or tall?

Historic or historical?

House or home?

How is …? or What is … like?

If or when?

If or whether?

Ill or sick?

Imply or infer?

In the way or on the way?

It’s or its?

Late or lately?

Lay or lie?

Lend or borrow?

Less or fewer?

Look at, see or watch?

Low or short?

Man, mankind or people?

Maybe or may be?

Maybe or perhaps?

Nearest or next?

Never or not … ever?

Nice or sympathetic?

No doubt or without doubt?

No or not?

Nowadays, these days or today?

Open or opened?

Opportunity or possibility?

Opposite or in front of?

Other, others, the other or another?

Out or out of?

Permit or permission?

Person, persons or people?

Pick or pick up?

Play or game?

Politics, political, politician or policy?

Price or prize?

Principal or principle?

Quiet or quite?

Raise or rise?

Remember or remind?

Right or rightly?

Rob or steal?

Say or tell?

So that or in order that?

Sometimes or sometime?

Sound or noise?

Speak or talk?

Such or so?

There, their or they’re?

Towards or toward?

Wait or wait for?

Wake, wake up or awaken?

Worth or worthwhile?