Make x Do

INTENSIVE 4
UNIT 6B
 Make or do??
Are you sure
you know how
to _____
pizza?
 Make or do??
Are you sure
you know how
to make
pizza?
 Make or do??
____ing Yoga
is a great
physical
activity.
 Make or do??
Doing Yoga is
a great
physical
activity.
 Make Do

Normally used when we talk about Normally used to describe indefinite

constructing, creating, or performing activities (something, anything, etc.) and to
something. talk about duties, jobs, or activities in
general.

Observation:
Sometimes, the correct
usage of “do” or “make”
does not follow these
rules.
 Make
• pizza, cakes, . . . (food in general).
• a living (he makes a living selling cars).
• excuses (I need to make an excuse to
explain why I’m not going to the party).
• a difference (All his studying will make
a difference when the test comes).
• a mistake (Josh made a mistake in the
test that cost him 10 points).
• fun of (Dennis wants to change classes
because kids there keep making fun of
him).
Do
• yoga, aerobics, . . . (physical activities in general)
• work (doing volunteer work is very rewarding).
• research (I’ll do some research before deciding
which apartment to buy).
• some good (We need to think about ways to do
some good for people in need).
• one’s best (They did their best, but it wasn’t
enough to win the game).
• the talking (Ok. We’ll go ask the teacher if we
can do the test another day. But I do the talking,
you just keep quiet).
 Make
• sense (That test did not make any
sense. I couldn’t understand a word he
had written!).
• an effort (I have to wake up really early
the next day, but I’ll make an effort to
drop by your birthday party).
Do
• thinking (After doing a lot of thinking, we
decided not to fire you).
• the math (“How come you don’t have any
savings?” “I have three kids in school, and my
husband is a stay-at-home dad. You do the
math”).