Common Make or Do Collocations to Learn and Use

Make or Do?

in English, there are some pairs of words that are confusing. This confusion comes from the fact that they have similar meanings but different usage. Examples of these are: lay vs lie, make vs do, rob vs steal, etc.
This lesson is about: Make and Do.

Make

1- Often means ‘create’ or ‘produce’

Renault cars are made in France.

2- or sometimes it expresses the idea of building and constructing

• Corporations are making a huge number of products in today’s world.
• I’ve made us some coffee.

3- To describe a process of change. It is like “become” or “cause to be”

This music really makes me upset.

4- Make + object + Infinitive (without to) means’ force or command’

My mother made me clean my room

Do

1- Often used to  “describe an activity” or ‘complete a task’

• What are we going to do for your birthday? (take part in an activity)
• You can go out, once you’ve done your homework.

2- Do + Determiner + ing describes regular tasks at home or at work.

We do the shopping every Sunday.

Collocations with ‘make’

• an attempt
• an appearance
• an appointment (arrange)
• arrangement
• a bed
• a (phone) call
• a charge (for something)
• a choice
• a comment
• a contribution
• a decision
• a difference
• discovery
• an effort
• an enemy of somebody
• an inquiry
• an exception
• an excuse
• a fire
• a fortune
• friends (with somebody)
• a fuss
• a gesture
• a good/bad job of something
• a habit of something
• journey
• journey
• a list
• a living
• love
• a mess
• a mistake
• money
• a noise
• an offer
• a plan
• a point
• a profit
• progress
• a promise
• a remark
• a sound
• speech
• a start (on something)
• a suggestion
• time for (something or somebody)
• trouble
• war
• a will

Collocations with ‘do’

• Your best (try hard).
• business (with somebody).
• the cleaning/washing/ironing etc.
• a course.
• some damage.
• the dishes.
• your duty.
• an exam / a test.
• a/an exercise.
• an experiment.
• somebody a favor.
• good (help other people).
• somebody some good (make somebody better/healthier).
• your hair/face/nails.
• harm.
• the housework/homework.
• yourself an injury.
• a job.
• the laundry.
• military service
• research.
• the shopping.
• sport.
• your teeth (brush/clean).
• well/badly (be successful/unsuccessful).