Monday 26th May

Marceau: hello jules

Jules: hello Marceau, are you free saturday evening?

Marceau: ah yes, i will make a pizza

Jules: we could watch the rugby match. 

Marceau: ah my mum says before I must make my bed and do the dishes. 

Jules: oh well, i must do my homework and as soon as you've finished I will go to your house

Marceau: ok see you tomorrow

Jules: see you!

Marceau: bye! 

Do and make are two 
important verbs in 
English.  

They are often confused 
because they are so 
similar.  However, they 
must be used in 
different situations. 

DoGeneral ActivitiesUse "do" for general activities when you don't use a specific 
verb:

• I want to do something.
  
• What are you doing?
  
• What did you do yesterday?
  
• There is a lot to do in Toronto.
  

WorkUse "do" to talk about work:

• What do you do? (What is your job?)
  
• Who does the laundry in your house?
  
• I don't want to do any work today.
  
• I hate doing the cleaning.
  
• Have you done your homework?
  

"Do" can replace another more exact verb (but only when the 
meaning is clear from the situation). This is informal, but 
common in spoken English.

• do the exam (write/take the exam)
  
• do the dishes (wash the dishes)
  
• do the laundry (wash the laundry)
  

MakeConstruction/Creating"Make" often expresses the idea of construction or creation:  

• I'll make a cake for Anthony's birthday.
  
• This car was made in France.
  
• Did you make this table yourself?
  

Now compare:

• Do the shopping. (We don't really create anything. We just "do" an activity.)
  
• Make a cake. (We actually create something from nothing.)
  

In the next example, notice "make" is for creation (the cake) 
and "do" is for the general activity, even though we're really 
talking about the same thing:

• I must make Anthony's cake. I'll do it now.
  

1. I need to _______ my homework.
a) do
b) make

2. She _____ a lot of money at her new job.
a) does
b) makes

3. Tomorrow he will ______ some exercise. 
a) do
b) make

4. Did you _____ your bed this morning? 
a) do
b) make

5. I can't _____ cookies for the party.
a) do
b) make

6. Please ______ the dishes after dinner.
a) do
b) make

7. Can you ______ me a favour? 
a) do
b) make

8. Tonight I will ______ my History assignment.
a) do
b) make

9. I _____ 5 mistakes on my test.
a) did
b) made

10. I am going to _____ a phone call.
a) do
b) make