Do we say MAKE or DO?
When to use MAKE
When we create, build, and produce something
- They make computers.
- The boat is made of wood.
- The iPhone is made in China.
- That sweater is made of bamboo.
When we prepare food or drinks
- I am making dinner
- She made me a coffee.
- I will make yogurt.
- I made you a margarita.
To express a plan or decision
- I made a decision. (We can also say I took a decision)
- We should make arrangements
- He will make plans for the summer.
To describe a noise or sound.
- The children are making a lot of noise.
- Birds make chirping sounds.
- He could make a phone call.
To express a promise or a wish.
- She might blow out her candles and make a wish.
- I made a promise that I will keep.
To express a reaction or emotion
- Onions make my eyes water.
- It didn’t make sense.
- They made me happy.
Tip: We make our bed
When to use DO
When we talk about work or tasks
- We did our homework.
- Would you like to go swimming today? I would love to do that!
- I have to do housework.
We can replace a more descriptive verb with do. (Informal English)
- We did the dishes after dinner. (We washed the dishes.)
- He’ll do the lawn tomorrow. (He will mow the lawn tomorrow.)
- She did her makeup before leaving. (She put on her makeup before leaving.)
To form a question: present simple tense
- Do you like chocolate?
- Do they want to see a movie?
- Do we need a new computer?
Tip: We use does with he, she, and it.
Using do for emphasis
Tip: do, does, did: used for emphasis
Example: Lutz wants to emphasize that he likes seafood.
- Inge: Why aren’t you eating? Don’t you like seafood?
- Lutz: I do like seafood. I’m not very hungry.
Example: Xavier wants to emphasize his desire
- Sabine: Do you want to go to the music festival?
- Xavier: I do!
Example: Geraldine wants to emphasize that she called.
- Magda: You didn’t call Karina yesterday.
- Geraldine: I did call. She didn’t answer.
