Do or make?
When we use do and make with noun phrases, do focuses on the process of acting or performing something, make emphasises more the product or outcome of an action:
- When I was [action] doing the calculations, I [outcome] made two mistakes.
- I [action] did some work for her last summer; I [outcome] made a pond in her garden.
Examples of nouns used with do and make
Nouns which combine with do
| activity | damage | favour | job | task |
| business | drawing | gardening | laundry | test |
| cleaning | duty | harm | one’s best | washing (up) |
| cooking | exam(ination) | homework | painting | work |
| course | exercise | ironing | shopping |
- I do the shopping on Fridays usually.
- Could you do a job for me next week?
- Who does the cooking in your house?
Nouns which combine with make
| apology | coffee | excuse | love | offer | remark |
| assumption | comment | friends | lunch | phone call | sound |
| bed | complaint | guess | mess | plan | soup |
| breakfast | dinner | law | mistake | profit | speech |
| cake | effort | list | money | progress | statement |
| change | error | loss | noise | promise | tea |
- They made me an interesting offer of a job in Warsaw.
- Not many building firms will make a profit this year.
- I have to make a phone call.
See also
- Do as a main verb
- Make
- Collocation