What's the main difference between 'make' and 'do'?

'Make' generally implies creating or producing something new (make a cake, make noise), while 'do' refers to performing an activity or task (do homework, do the shopping). Many common expressions are fixed and must be memorised.

In 'She made him apologise', why is there no 'to' before 'apologise'?

The verb 'make', when used in a causative sense (to force or cause someone to do something), is followed by the base form of the verb without 'to'. This is a fixed grammatical rule.

Can 'make' be used as a noun?

Yes, but it's less common. As a noun, 'make' can refer to the brand or style of a product, especially a car (e.g., 'What make and model is your vehicle?'). This usage is more formal.

Is 'make of' (as in 'What do you make of this?') common?

Yes, 'make of' meaning 'to understand or interpret' is a common phrasal verb, particularly in informal and conversational English (e.g., 'I don't know what to make of his strange behaviour.').

isis-k

UK/meɪk/US/meɪk/

Universal

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

To create, produce, or construct something; to cause something to happen or exist.

To force or compel someone to do something; to earn or acquire (money); to achieve or reach (a place, time, or position); to constitute or amount to; to perform an action.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

'Make' is a highly polysemous verb with a vast collocational range. Its core sense involves creation or causation. It is delexicalised in many common phrases (e.g., make a decision, make a mistake).

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Minor differences in some collocations (e.g., 'make a fuss' is more common in BrE than AmE). 'Make do' (to manage with what is available) is common in both, but BrE may use it slightly more frequently. Spelling: no difference.

Connotations

Generally neutral in both varieties. 'Make' as a noun (e.g., 'What make is your car?') for brand/manufacturer is standard in BrE but slightly formal/dated in AmE.

Frequency

Extremely high frequency in both varieties.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

make a decisionmake a mistakemake a differencemake a messmake money

medium

make an effortmake a suggestionmake a callmake a cakemake progress

weak

make a facemake a movemake a noisemake a listmake a plan

Grammar

Valency Patterns

make + object (make tea)make + object + adjective (make me angry)make + object + infinitive without 'to' (make him wait)make + indirect object + direct object (make me a sandwich)make + for + place (make for the exit)

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

fabricatemanufactureassemble

Neutral

createproduceconstructform

Weak

preparebuildcook

Vocabulary

Antonyms

destroybreakruindismantle

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“make ends meet”
“make a long story short”
“make or break”
“make a beeline for”
“make a mountain out of a molehill”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

'We need to make a profit this quarter.' 'She made a good impression on the clients.'

Academic

'The study makes a significant contribution to the field.' 'The data makes it clear that...'

Everyday

'I'll make dinner tonight.' 'Can you make it to the party?'

Technical

'The machine makes 100 units per hour.' 'The software makes automatic backups.'

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

I'll make a cup of tea.
The noise made the baby cry.
He made £500 on the deal.

American English

I'll make a pot of coffee.
The movie made her laugh.
She made $500 from the sale.

adverb

British English

N/A (not standardly used as an adverb)

American English

N/A (not standardly used as an adverb)

adjective

British English

N/A (not standardly used as an adjective)

American English

N/A (not standardly used as an adjective)

Examples

By CEFR Level

I make my bed every morning.
She makes delicious cookies.
Can you make a simple drawing?

Hard work makes success more likely.
They made him captain of the team.
Let's make a plan for the weekend.

The new evidence makes his conviction seem unsafe.
I can't make out what the sign says in this fog.
He made off with the money before anyone noticed.

The director's latest film makes a compelling case for social reform.
His arrogance made for a very uncomfortable meeting.
She has the qualities that make for an excellent leader.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a baker MAKING a cake: they MIX ingredients, APPLY heat, and KNEAD dough - the first letters spell MAKE.

Conceptual Metaphor

CREATION IS MAKING (e.g., make a plan, make a fortune, make a scene).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Confusing 'make' (создавать, заставлять) with 'do' (делать как деятельность). 'Make a decision' (принять решение) not 'do a decision'.
'Make friends' (подружиться), not 'do friends' or 'find friends'.
'Make money' (зарабатывать деньги), not 'do money' or 'get money' in this sense.

Common Mistakes

Using 'do' instead of 'make' in fixed expressions (e.g., *'do a cake' instead of 'make a cake').
Adding 'to' after 'make' in causative structure (e.g., *'She made me to go' instead of 'She made me go').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The loud thunder the dog hide under the bed.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence uses 'make' correctly in a causative structure?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: 'Make' generally implies creating or producing something new (make a cake, make noise), while 'do' refers to performing an activity or task (do homework, do the shopping). Many common expressions are fixed and must be memorised.
: The verb 'make', when used in a causative sense (to force or cause someone to do something), is followed by the base form of the verb without 'to'. This is a fixed grammatical rule.
: Yes, but it's less common. As a noun, 'make' can refer to the brand or style of a product, especially a car (e.g., 'What make and model is your vehicle?'). This usage is more formal.
: Yes, 'make of' meaning 'to understand or interpret' is a common phrasal verb, particularly in informal and conversational English (e.g., 'I don't know what to make of his strange behaviour.').