Make vs. Do – English Grammar Exercises for B1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Read the story carefully, as all questions are part of a continuous conversation between two roommates in the kitchen.
1 I am trying to ______ dinner for us, but I just realized I am missing a key ingredient.
(a) create
(b) make
(c) do
(d) making
2 You look like you aren’t busy. Could you ______ me a huge favor and run to the store, please?
(a) make
(b) give
(c) to do
(d) do
3 I urgently need some salt, but I can’t ______ the shopping right now because the stove is on.
(a) do
(b) go
(c) done
(d) make
4 I don’t want to ______ a mess in the kitchen by leaving the boiling pots unattended.
(a) makes
(b) leave
(c) make
(d) do
5 If the soup boils over, it will certainly ______ a lot of damage to my favorite saucepan.
(a) make
(b) do
(c) doing
(d) produce
6 You are the only one in the house who can ______ this quick task for me.
(a) fulfill
(b) make
(c) do
(d) to do
7 I know you are relaxing, and I hate to ______ a fuss, but the recipe is totally ruined without salt.
(a) make
(b) do
(c) made
(d) throw
8 Adding just a pinch of salt will really ______ a huge difference to the final taste of the sauce.
(a) do
(b) bring
(c) make
(d) making
9 If you help me out, I promise I will ______ all the washing up after we eat.
(a) do
(b) clean
(c) make
(d) doing
10 I really wanted to ______ my best with this special meal, but I forgot the most basic spice!
(a) try
(b) do
(c) make
(d) did
11 When you are at the store, please ______ sure you buy the coarse sea salt, not the regular one.
(a) keep
(b) making
(c) do
(d) make
12 While you are gone, I need to ______ a quick phone call to my mom for the next recipe step anyway.
(a) make
(b) talk
(c) makes
(d) do
13 Could you also ______ a little research on your phone about what dessert pairs well with this dish?
(a) doing
(b) make
(c) do
(d) search
14 I will ______ a conscious effort to keep your portion warm until you get back.
(a) put
(b) do
(c) make
(d) making
15 Running to the grocery store will only take five minutes, but it will ______ me a lot of good.
(a) bring
(b) did
(c) make
(d) do
16 I don’t want to ______ any excuses, but the cookbook’s instructions were incredibly confusing.
(a) say
(b) make
(c) making
(d) do
17 If you get the salt, we can just sit back and ______ absolutely nothing for the rest of the evening.
(a) make
(b) do
(c) have
(d) done
18 I’ve already ______ all the necessary arrangements to stream that movie you wanted to watch tonight.
(a) made
(b) prepared
(c) done
(d) make
19 We have a deal: you buy the missing ingredients, and I will strictly ______ the cooking business from now on.
(a) make
(b) deal
(c) doing
(d) do
20 Thanks, roomie! You have no idea how much this simple favor will ______ wonders for my stress levels right now.
(a) create
(b) do
(c) make
(d) to do
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make dinner” (or make a meal/breakfast) is the standard collocation for preparing food.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error (requires the base form after “trying to”). (a) “create” is a Meaning Trap (you create art, but you make dinner).
2 (d) do
- Why it is correct: “Do a favor” is a fixed phrase. A favor is an action performed to help someone, which aligns with the verb “do”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “to do” is a Structural Error after the modal “Could”. (b) “give” is a Meaning Trap (you give help, but you do a favor).
3 (a) do
- Why it is correct: “Do the shopping” refers to the routine activity or chore of buying goods.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “done” is a Structural Error after “can’t”. (b) “go” is a Meaning Trap (we say “go shopping”, but we say “do the shopping”).
4 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a mess” means you are producing or creating a dirty or untidy state.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “do” is a Common Mistake. (a) “makes” is a Structural Error after “want to”. (b) “leave” is a Meaning Trap.
5 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do damage” refers to the negative physical impact or effect caused by an event.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error after “will”. (d) “produce” is a Meaning Trap.
6 (c) do
- Why it is correct: We “do a task” because it is an action or chore to be executed.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “to do” is a Structural Error after the modal “can”. (a) “fulfill” is a Meaning Trap (“fulfill a task” is too formal and unnatural here).
7 (a) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a fuss” means to create an unnecessary display of emotion or complaint.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “made” is a Structural Error after “hate to”. (d) “throw” is a Meaning Trap.
8 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a difference” means to create a significant change in a situation.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error after “will”. (b) “bring” is a Meaning Trap.
9 (a) do
- Why it is correct: “Do the washing up” (or do the dishes) is a routine household chore.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “doing” is a Structural Error after “will”. (b) “clean” is a Meaning Trap (“clean the washing up” is redundant and incorrect).
10 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do your best” means to perform an action with maximum effort.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “did” is a Structural Error after “wanted to”. (a) “try” is a Meaning Trap (you can “try your best”, but grammatically we are testing standard verb+noun collocations, and “try your best” often functions differently than the core “do your best”).
11 (d) make
- Why it is correct: “Make sure” is an idiom meaning to establish or confirm a fact.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (b) “making” is a Structural Error for an imperative sentence. (a) “keep” is a Meaning Trap (“keep sure” does not exist).
12 (a) make
- Why it is correct: You “make a phone call” because you are initiating and producing the communication.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “makes” is a Structural Error after “need to”. (b) “talk” is a Meaning Trap.
13 (c) do
- Why it is correct: “Do research” refers to the activity or process of gathering information.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a Common Mistake. (a) “doing” is a Structural Error after “Could you”. (d) “search” is a Meaning Trap (you search for something, you don’t “search a research”).
14 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make an effort” means you are generating the energy required to achieve a goal.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error after “will”. (a) “put” is a Meaning Trap (you “put effort into”, you don’t “put an effort”).
15 (d) do
- Why it is correct: “Do someone good” is an idiom meaning to have a beneficial effect on someone.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (b) “did” is a Structural Error after “will”. (a) “bring” is a Meaning Trap.
16 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make an excuse” means to invent or produce a reason.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “making” is a Structural Error after “want to”. (a) “say” is a Meaning Trap.
17 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do nothing” is used when referring to general, non-specific actions.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “done” is a Structural Error after “can”. (c) “have” is a Meaning Trap.
18 (a) made
- Why it is correct: “Make arrangements” means to produce plans and organize preparations.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “done” is a Common Mistake. (d) “make” is a Structural Error (requires past participle “made” for Present Perfect). (b) “prepared” is a Meaning Trap.
19 (d) do
- Why it is correct: “Do business” refers to the continuous activity of handling professional or serious matters.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error after “will”. (b) “deal” is a Meaning Trap.
20 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do wonders” is an idiom meaning to have a highly beneficial and almost magical effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “to do” is a Structural Error after “will”. (a) “create” is a Meaning Trap.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 “DO” focuses on ACTIONS, CHORES, and FAVORS:
When you ask someone to help you, you are asking them to perform an action.
- Core Rule: Use “Do” for tasks, routine activities, general actions, and the impacts of an action.
- Kitchen/Favor Examples: do a favor (the helpful act), do the shopping / do the washing up (routine chores), do your best (the performance), do damage / do you good / do wonders (the impact of an action).
2 “MAKE” focuses on CREATING, PRODUCING, and COMMUNICATING:
When you cook, you take raw ingredients and create a new dish. When you speak, you create sounds.
- Core Rule: Use “Make” when you construct, draft, or produce a tangible result or a social interaction.
- Kitchen/Favor Examples: make dinner (producing a meal), make a mess (creating an untidy state), make a difference (creating a change), make a phone call / make an excuse (producing communication), make an effort (generating energy).