DO OR MAKE? EXERCISE 2 – FIXED COLLOCATIONS
B1–B2 · IntermediateThis second exercise focuses on fixed do and make collocations—set expressions where the correct verb is learned as part of the phrase. Complete 20 sentences with the missing verb.
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Choose do or make to complete each sentence.
Finished the series? Try Homonyms and Homophones →, or review Exercise 1.
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Grammar review
Do or make? — fixed expressions and tricky pairs
Once you know the basic pattern (do = activities/tasks; make = creating/producing), the real challenge is the large number of fixed expressions where the logical rule doesn’t always apply. These must simply be learned.
Common fixed expressions with DO:
do the shopping, do research, do someone a favour, do damage, do harm, do good, do your duty, do your best, do a course, do sport
Common fixed expressions with MAKE:
make a bed, make an appointment, make arrangements, make an effort, make an exception, make an excuse, make a living, make a mess, make a point, make progress, make sense, make sure, make a speech, make up your mind
Pairs that trip up even advanced learners:
do research (the activity) vs make a discovery (the result)
do sport / do exercise vs make a goal (scoring)
do a course vs make progress
Strategy: When in doubt, try to recall a sentence where you’ve heard or read the expression before. Exposure to natural English is the most reliable way to build intuition for do/make collocations.
Once you know the basic pattern (do = activities/tasks; make = creating/producing), the real challenge is the large number of fixed expressions where the logical rule doesn’t always apply. These must simply be learned.
Common fixed expressions with DO:
do the shopping, do research, do someone a favour, do damage, do harm, do good, do your duty, do your best, do a course, do sport
Common fixed expressions with MAKE:
make a bed, make an appointment, make arrangements, make an effort, make an exception, make an excuse, make a living, make a mess, make a point, make progress, make sense, make sure, make a speech, make up your mind
Pairs that trip up even advanced learners:
do research (the activity) vs make a discovery (the result)
do sport / do exercise vs make a goal (scoring)
do a course vs make progress
Strategy: When in doubt, try to recall a sentence where you’ve heard or read the expression before. Exposure to natural English is the most reliable way to build intuition for do/make collocations.
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