The differences between make v. do in English | Learn English with Cambridge

Could you make…?

No.

Could you do…?

Wait.

Which is it?

Do you know when to use do and when make?

Hello, hello, everyone.

You don’t need to worry about this question anymore,

because in this video I’ll explain the difference

between make and do.

Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to the channel.

But first, I have a challenge for you.

We have these six activities and you have to decide

whether you use do or make when talking about them.

After watching this video,

please leave your answers in the comments.

Do and make are two of the most common verbs in English,

and people use them all the time.

But don’t worry,

I will help you learn to use them in the right way.

To start with,

we usually use do when we talk about activities.

For example, do a task,

do someone a favour and do the shopping.

Make, on the other hand,

can often mean there is an element

of creating something.

A result, for example.

You make a mess,

make a sound and make breakfast.

For example, when I was doing the exercises,

I made two mistakes.

I did some research for the university

and I made a presentation with the conclusions.

We usually use do when we talk about housework,

as in do the laundry or do the dishes.

Work and study

as in do homework, do business or do a project.

We usually use make when we talk about food

as in make a cup of tea

or make a reservation at a restaurant.

Money, as in make money,

or make X dollars, pounds, euros, pesos

from selling something.

Relationships, as in make friends, or make up.

Communication, as in make a phone call,

or make a confession.

Plans and progress

as in make mistakes or make a list.

But remember, these are

just common collocations and generalisations,

not absolute rules,

because there are some exceptions

within these categories

that you will need to be careful with.

That is everything for today, guys.

I hope make and do are a little clearer for you now.

Please, don’t forget to write down your answer

of the challenge from the start of the video.

Thumbs up if you like this video,

and don’t forget to share it with your friends.

See you.