Make vs. Do – English Grammar Exercises for B1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Read the text carefully, as all questions are part of a continuous 1-star review written by a frustrated hotel guest.
1-Star Review: The Worst Night of My Life!
1 The people in the next room started to ______ a terrible noise at 2:00 AM.
(a) produce
(b) do
(c) make
(d) making
2 I tried to ______ my absolute best to ignore the loud music and fall asleep, but it was impossible.
(a) do
(b) try
(c) make
(d) doing
3 After an hour of suffering, I had to ______ a phone call to the reception desk.
(a) do
(b) ring
(c) to make
(d) make
4 The receptionist picked up but didn’t ______ anything to resolve the situation.
(a) act
(b) do
(c) done
(d) make
5 Therefore, I went downstairs to ______ a formal complaint in person.
(a) say
(b) make
(c) do
(d) making
6 The drunk guests were also ______ a huge mess in the hotel hallway.
(a) doing
(b) leaving
(c) making
(d) make
7 It is unbelievable that a four-star hotel lets guests ______ whatever they want in the middle of the night.
(a) perform
(b) do
(c) make
(d) doing
8 The night manager lazily promised to ______ sure the party stopped immediately.
(a) do
(b) keep
(c) make
(d) makes
9 However, the security guard failed to ______ his duty, as the music only got louder.
(a) do
(b) fulfill
(c) make
(d) doing
10 Lying in bed, I had to ______ a difficult choice: stay and suffer, or pack my bags and leave.
(a) do
(b) take
(c) making
(d) make
11 This unacceptable lack of sleep was ______ a lot of damage to my energy for the next day’s business meeting.
(a) doing
(b) making
(c) causing
(d) done
12 I eventually lost my temper and decided to ______ a fuss at the front desk.
(a) throw
(b) do
(c) make
(d) to make
13 The staff offered me a free breakfast coupon to ______ amends for the terrible night.
(a) do
(b) make
(c) taking
(d) bring
14 Honestly, a cold croissant doesn’t ______ me any good when I am completely exhausted.
(a) do
(b) make
(c) doing
(d) give
15 The management team ______ a huge mistake by ignoring my repeated calls for help.
(a) did
(b) created
(c) made
(d) make
16 I strongly expect this hotel to ______ business more professionally in the future.
(a) deal
(b) do
(c) make
(d) doing
17 If you want a peaceful night, you must ______ your research before booking this place.
(a) make
(b) do
(c) to do
(d) search
18 Writing this 1-star review is the least I can ______ to warn other innocent travelers.
(a) write
(b) make
(c) doing
(d) do
19 To make matters worse, the manager refused to ______ an exception and refund my room rate!
(a) make
(b) allow
(c) do
(d) made
20 This entire nightmare has ______ a permanent negative impression on me. I will never return.
(a) done
(b) built
(c) made
(d) make
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a noise” is the standard English collocation. Sound is something you produce or generate.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error (requires the base form after “started to”). (a) “produce” is a Meaning Trap (logical, but unnatural phrasing for noise).
2 (a) do
- Why it is correct: “Do your best” refers to performing an action with maximum effort.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “doing” is a Structural Error. (b) “try” is a Meaning Trap (you “try your best”, but grammatically, standard usage in this test focuses on the DO/MAKE contrast).
3 (d) make
- Why it is correct: You “make a phone call” because you initiate and create the communication.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “to make” is a Structural Error (the “to” is already present after “had”). (b) “ring” is a Meaning Trap (you “ring the reception”, not “ring a phone call”).
4 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do anything” (or do nothing/something) is used for general, non-specific actions.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “done” is a Structural Error after “didn’t”. (a) “act” is a Meaning Trap.
5 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a complaint” is the correct collocation. A complaint is a verbal or written statement you actively produce.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error. (a) “say” is a Meaning Trap (you “say something”, but you “make a complaint”).
6 (c) making
- Why it is correct: “Make a mess” means to create a dirty, untidy, or chaotic state.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “doing” is a Common Mistake. (d) “make” is a Structural Error (requires Present Participle “making” for Past Continuous). (b) “leaving” is a Meaning Trap (you can “leave a mess”, but “making” emphasizes the active creation of it).
7 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do whatever” applies to performing general, non-specific activities.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “doing” is a Structural Error after “lets guests”. (a) “perform” is a Meaning Trap.
8 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make sure” is a fixed phrase meaning to confirm or guarantee something happens.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “makes” is a Structural Error after “promised to”. (b) “keep” is a Meaning Trap (“keep sure” does not exist).
9 (a) do
- Why it is correct: “Do your duty” means to perform your required professional or moral obligations.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “doing” is a Structural Error. (b) “fulfill” is a Meaning Trap (technically correct but too formal; “do” is the targeted functional verb here).
10 (d) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a choice” represents the mental creation of a decision.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “making” is a Structural Error. (b) “take” is a Meaning Trap (used in some languages, but incorrect in English).
11 (a) doing
- Why it is correct: “Do damage” refers to the negative physical or abstract impact caused by an event.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “making” is a Common Mistake. (d) “done” is a Structural Error (needs Present Participle after “was” for Past Continuous). (c) “causing” is a Meaning Trap (valid, but “doing” is the focus of this grammar point).
12 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a fuss” means to create a loud, visible display of anger or complaint.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “to make” is a Structural Error (the “to” is already in the sentence). (a) “throw” is a Meaning Trap (“throw a fit”, but “make a fuss”).
13 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make amends” means to actively create a situation that compensates for a past mistake.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “taking” is a Structural Error. (d) “bring” is a Meaning Trap.
14 (a) do
- Why it is correct: “Do someone good” is an idiom meaning to have a beneficial effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error after “doesn’t”. (d) “give” is a Meaning Trap.
15 (c) made
- Why it is correct: “Make a mistake” refers to producing an error.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “did” is a Common Mistake. (d) “make” is a Structural Error (requires Past Simple here). (b) “created” is a Meaning Trap (too literal).
16 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do business” refers to the continuous activity of handling professional matters.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “doing” is a Structural Error after “expect… to”. (a) “deal” is a Meaning Trap.
17 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do research” refers to the activity or process of gathering information.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “to do” is a Structural Error after the modal “must”. (d) “search” is a Meaning Trap.
18 (d) do
- Why it is correct: “Do” is used for general actions (the least I can do).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error after the modal “can”. (a) “write” is a Meaning Trap (redundant in the sentence structure).
19 (a) make
- Why it is correct: “Make an exception” means to actively create a special rule that bypasses standard policy.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “made” is a Structural Error after “refused to”. (b) “allow” is a Meaning Trap.
20 (c) made
- Why it is correct: “Make an impression” means to create a lasting feeling or memory in someone’s mind.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “done” is a Common Mistake. (d) “make” is a Structural Error (requires past participle “made” for Present Perfect). (b) “built” is a Meaning Trap.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 “MAKE” focuses on CREATING & PRODUCING:
When you are angry at a hotel, you often produce things that weren’t there before: sound, anger, and choices.
- Core Rule: Use “Make” when you construct, generate, or produce a tangible result, a sound, or a communication.
- Hotel Review Examples: make a noise (produce sound), make a complaint (produce communication), make a fuss (create a scene), make a mess (create an untidy state), make a choice, make an exception, make an impression.
2 “DO” focuses on ACTIONS, DUTIES & EFFECTS:
You use “do” when talking about the actions the staff should perform, or the impact the situation had on you.
- Core Rule: Use “Do” for executing tasks, obligations, general actions, and the positive/negative impacts of an action.
- Hotel Review Examples: do your duty (perform an obligation), do anything/whatever (general action), do business (activity), do your best (effort), do damage (negative impact), do you good (positive impact).