Make vs. Do – English Grammar Exercises for B1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Read the report carefully, as all questions are part of a continuous live television broadcast from a news anchor.
Breaking News: The Aftermath of Typhoon Cyclone
1 Good morning. We are live from the coast, where the super typhoon has ______ terrible damage to the city overnight.
(a) produced
(b) made
(c) doing
(d) done
2 Our reporters on the ground are trying to ______ their best to bring you the latest updates.
(a) make
(b) perform
(c) doing
(d) do
3 Yesterday, the local government had to ______ a very difficult decision to evacuate over 10,000 residents.
(a) take
(b) make
(c) do
(d) making
4 We need to ______ sure that everyone understands the severity of this natural disaster.
(a) keep
(b) do
(c) to make
(d) make
5 The national rescue teams will ______ an immense effort to reach the isolated coastal villages today.
(a) make
(b) put
(c) do
(d) making
6 The storm was incredibly violent, and it certainly didn’t ______ the local infrastructure any good.
(a) make
(b) do
(c) bring
(d) did
7 Unfortunately, some residents stayed behind, refusing to ______ the necessary arrangements to leave.
(a) prepare
(b) made
(c) do
(d) make
8 Flying debris from broken windows can ______ serious harm to anyone caught walking outside.
(a) make
(b) do
(c) create
(d) doing
9 The police department has just ______ a public announcement urging everyone to stay indoors.
(a) told
(b) done
(c) made
(d) did
10 Firefighters are currently ______ a fantastic job clearing the fallen trees from the main highways.
(a) doing
(b) making
(c) acting
(d) do
11 If you are in the affected zone, please do not ______ a phone call unless it is a medical emergency.
(a) speak
(b) making
(c) do
(d) make
12 The strong winds continue to ______ a terrifying noise across the downtown valley.
(a) produce
(b) make
(c) makes
(d) do
13 We advise all citizens to lock their doors and ______ absolutely nothing until the storm completely passes.
(a) make
(b) have
(c) do
(d) done
14 Heavy coastal flooding is already ______ a massive mess in the central business district.
(a) doing
(b) leaving
(c) making
(d) make
15 The city council will ______ an exception for emergency vehicles to cross the closed bridges.
(a) allow
(b) do
(c) make
(d) making
16 Authorities have ______ no secret of the fact that the full recovery process will take many months.
(a) done
(b) kept
(c) made
(d) make
17 Tomorrow, hundreds of volunteers will be needed to ______ the heavy work of distributing clean water.
(a) operate
(b) make
(c) doing
(d) do
18 Ignoring these safety warnings will only ______ matters worse for the overstretched rescue workers.
(a) do
(b) turn
(c) make
(d) making
19 The incoming financial aid from the government will certainly ______ a significant difference for the victims.
(a) result
(b) make
(c) do
(d) to make
20 Despite the chaos, the community’s solidarity is ______ wonders for everyone’s hope and morale this morning.
(a) doing
(b) making
(c) bring
(d) do
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (d) done
- Why it is correct: “Do damage” is a fixed collocation. In English, damage is treated as a physical impact or destructive action, not a created object.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “made” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error (requires past participle “done” for Present Perfect). (a) “produced” is a Meaning Trap (logical, but unnatural phrasing for damage).
2 (d) do
- Why it is correct: “Do your best” means to perform an action with maximum effort.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error (requires base verb after “trying to”). (b) “perform” is a Meaning Trap.
3 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a decision” refers to the mental creation of a choice or plan.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error. (a) “take” is a Meaning Trap (used in other languages, but unnatural here).
4 (d) make
- Why it is correct: “Make sure” is an idiom meaning to confirm or guarantee that something happens.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “to make” is a Structural Error (the “to” is already present before the blank). (a) “keep” is a Meaning Trap.
5 (a) make
- Why it is correct: “Make an effort” means you are generating or producing energy to accomplish a goal.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error after the modal “will”. (b) “put” is a Meaning Trap (you “put effort into”, not “put an effort”).
6 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do someone/something good” means to have a beneficial effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “did” is a Structural Error after the auxiliary “didn’t”. (c) “bring” is a Meaning Trap.
7 (d) make
- Why it is correct: “Make arrangements” means to produce plans and organize preparations.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (b) “made” is a Structural Error after “refusing to”. (a) “prepare” is a Meaning Trap (“prepare arrangements” is redundant).
8 (b) do
- Why it is correct: “Do harm” is the standard collocation for causing negative effects or injuries.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a Common Mistake. (d) “doing” is a Structural Error after the modal “can”. (c) “create” is a Meaning Trap.
9 (c) made
- Why it is correct: “Make an announcement” means to produce a formal public statement.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “done” is a Common Mistake. (d) “did” is a Structural Error. (a) “told” is a Meaning Trap.
10 (a) doing
- Why it is correct: “Do a job” refers to performing a task, role, or action well.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “making” is a Common Mistake. (d) “do” is a Structural Error (requires Present Participle for Present Continuous). (c) “acting” is a Meaning Trap.
11 (d) make
- Why it is correct: You “make a phone call” because you are initiating and producing the communication.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (b) “making” is a Structural Error. (a) “speak” is a Meaning Trap.
12 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a noise” is the standard collocation. Sound is something you generate.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) “do” is a Common Mistake. (c) “makes” is a Structural Error after “continue to”. (a) “produce” is a Meaning Trap.
13 (c) 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. (b) “have” is a Meaning Trap.
14 (c) making
- Why it is correct: “Make a mess” means actively creating a chaotic, dirty, or untidy state.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “doing” is a Common Mistake. (d) “make” is a Structural Error. (b) “leaving” is a Meaning Trap.
15 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make an exception” means to actively create a special rule outside the norm.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error. (a) “allow” is a Meaning Trap.
16 (c) made
- Why it is correct: “Make no secret of” is an idiom meaning to speak openly about a fact.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “done” is a Common Mistake. (d) “make” is a Structural Error (requires past participle “made” for Present Perfect). (b) “kept” is a Meaning Trap.
17 (d) do
- Why it is correct: “Do work” applies to performing physical or mental tasks.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a Common Mistake. (c) “doing” is a Structural Error after “needed to”. (a) “operate” is a Meaning Trap.
18 (c) make
- Why it is correct: “Make matters worse” means to cause a situation to become more difficult (producing a state).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “making” is a Structural Error. (b) “turn” is a Meaning Trap.
19 (b) make
- Why it is correct: “Make a difference” means to create a significant change in a situation.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) “do” is a Common Mistake. (d) “to make” is a Structural Error after the modal “will”. (a) “result” is a Meaning Trap.
20 (a) doing
- Why it is correct: “Do wonders” is an idiom for having a highly beneficial, almost magical effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “making” is a Common Mistake. (d) “do” is a Structural Error (requires Present Participle after “is”). (c) “bring” is a Meaning Trap.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 “DO” focuses on IMPACTS & EXECUTION:
In the context of a disaster, the storm performs a destructive action, and the rescue workers perform helpful actions.
- Core Rule: Use “Do” for the physical or abstract impacts of an action (both good and bad), as well as for executing tasks and duties.
- Typhoon Examples: do damage (negative impact), do harm (negative impact), do someone good (positive impact), do wonders (positive impact), do your best (execution), do a job (execution), do work.
2 “MAKE” focuses on CREATION & COMMUNICATION:
Even in a disaster, people are constantly creating things: plans, sounds, and choices.
- Core Rule: Use “Make” when a person actively produces a thought, a rule, a plan, or a communication from nothing.
- Typhoon Examples: make a decision (producing a choice), make an announcement (producing communication), make an effort (producing energy), make arrangements (producing plans), make an exception (producing a rule), make a difference.