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 connected.
1 Oh no, I think I just ______ a huge mistake!
(a) made
(b) did
(c) making
(d) caused
2 I was supposed to ______ my job quietly, but I completely messed up today.
(a) work
(b) do
(c) doing
(d) make
3 I only wanted to ______ a complaint about my boss to my best friend.
(a) give
(b) do
(c) make
(d) to make
4 I didn’t want to ______ any harm; I just needed to vent my frustration.
(a) put
(b) make
(c) did
(d) do
5 I usually ______ my best to be professional at the office.
(a) achieve
(b) do
(c) does
(d) make
6 Yesterday, I had to ______ a choice whether to text my friend about the strict new policy or just ignore it.
(a) take
(b) make
(c) making
(d) do
7 Unfortunately, I decided to ______ a few harsh comments about the boss in a chat.
(a) make
(b) to making
(c) say
(d) do
8 In the text, I wrote that he doesn’t ______ any real work around the department.
(a) doing
(b) make
(c) do
(d) complete
9 I hit send, thinking it would ______ me a lot of good to let out my anger.
(a) make
(b) bring
(c) did
(d) do
10 Suddenly, my phone buzzed, and I realized I had ______ a terrible error.
(a) make
(b) created
(c) done
(d) made
11 My boss replied, “Is this how you ______ business in my team?”
(a) do
(b) make
(c) deal
(d) doing
12 My heart stopped. There was nothing I could ______ to fix the situation right away.
(a) to do
(b) do
(c) make
(d) act
13 I desperately tried to ______ an excuse, but everything in my head sounded pathetic.
(a) find
(b) do
(c) make
(d) makes
14 I knew I needed to ______ amends immediately before I got officially fired.
(a) take
(b) make
(c) making
(d) do
15 I slowly walked into his private office to ______ an apology in person.
(a) say
(b) made
(c) do
(d) make
16 He looked at me and sighed, “You’ve ______ a lot of damage to our professional trust.”
(a) produced
(b) done
(c) do
(d) made
17 He added, “I didn’t think you would ______ such a scene over a minor rule change.”
(a) make
(b) draw
(c) making
(d) do
18 “If you want to stay on this team, you’ll have to ______ the right thing from now on,” he warned.
(a) make
(b) to do
(c) act
(d) do
19 I promised him I would ______ a massive effort to improve my attitude.
(a) do
(b) put
(c) make
(d) making
20 In the end, this embarrassing incident ______ wonders for my maturity, teaching me a lesson I will never forget.
(a) brought
(b) did
(c) doing
(d) made
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a) made
- Explanation: “Make a mistake” is a standard collocation referring to producing an unintended result.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “did” is a common mistake as students confuse the two verbs. (c) “making” is a structural error (needs past tense after “just”). (d) “caused” is a strong distractor, but we do not say “cause a mistake” in natural English.
2 (b) do
- Explanation: We use “do” for tasks, jobs, and general activities (“do my job”).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “work” is a meaning trap (we don’t “work a job” in this context). (c) “doing” is structurally wrong after “supposed to”. (d) “make” is the common mistake.
3 (c) make
- Explanation: We “make a complaint” because it is something we create or produce.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “give” is a strong distractor that sounds natural but is incorrect. (b) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “to make” is a structural error (after “wanted to”, we just need the bare infinitive “make”, not double “to”).
4 (d) do
- Explanation: “Do harm” is a fixed phrase relating to the effect of an action.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “put” is a meaning trap. (b) “make” is a common mistake. (c) “did” is structurally incorrect after the infinitive marker “to”.
5 (b) do
- Explanation: “Do one’s best” is the correct collocation for putting in maximum effort.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “achieve” sounds logical but doesn’t fit the idiom. (c) “does” is a grammar error (I + do). (d) “make” is a common mistake.
6 (b) make
- Explanation: When choosing between options, we “make a choice” (producing a decision).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “take” is a strong distractor (often translated directly from other languages). (c) “making” is grammatically incorrect after “had to”. (d) “do” is a common mistake.
7 (a) make
- Explanation: We “make a comment”, meaning to express a thought or opinion.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “to making” is a structural error. (c) “say” is a strong distractor (we “say things”, but “make comments”). (d) “do” is a common mistake.
8 (c) do
- Explanation: “Do work” applies to performing general tasks.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “doing” is structurally wrong after the auxiliary “doesn’t”. (b) “make” is a common mistake. (d) “complete” is a meaning trap (sounds formal but breaks the natural collocation).
9 (d) do
- Explanation: “Do someone good” means to benefit someone.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a common mistake. (b) “bring” is a strong distractor (“bring good” makes logical sense but is idiomatically incorrect). (c) “did” is a structural error after “would”.
10 (d) made
- Explanation: Just like “mistake”, we “make an error” (creating a wrong outcome).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is structurally wrong (needs past participle after “had”). (b) “created” is a meaning trap (too literal). (c) “done” is a common mistake.
11 (a) do
- Explanation: “Do business” is the standard collocation for conducting professional trade or tasks.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a common mistake. (c) “deal” is a strong distractor. (d) “doing” is structurally incorrect after “how you…”.
12 (b) do
- Explanation: “Do” is used for general, non-specific actions (“do anything/nothing”).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “to do” is grammatically wrong after the modal “could”. (c) “make” is a common mistake. (d) “act” is a meaning trap.
13 (c) make
- Explanation: We “make an excuse” because we are constructing or inventing a reason.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “find” is a strong distractor (you can “find an excuse”, but “make” implies inventing one, which fits “pathetic”). (b) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “makes” is a structural error.
14 (b) make
- Explanation: “Make amends” means to compensate for an injury or mistake.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “take” is a strong distractor. (c) “making” is a structural error after “to”. (d) “do” is a common mistake.
15 (d) make
- Explanation: We “make an apology” (producing a statement of regret).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “say” is a very strong meaning trap. (b) “made” is structurally wrong after “to”. (c) “do” is a common mistake.
16 (b) done
- Explanation: “Do damage” refers to the negative effect or harm caused by an action.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “produced” is a meaning trap. (c) “do” is grammatically incorrect (needs past participle “done” for Present Perfect). (d) “made” is a common mistake.
17 (a) make
- Explanation: “Make a scene” means to create a loud, public, and embarrassing argument.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “draw” is a strong distractor (“draw attention” is correct, but not “scene”). (c) “making” is a structural error. (d) “do” is a common mistake.
18 (d) do
- Explanation: “Do the right thing” is a fixed idiom about behaving ethically.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “make” is a common mistake. (b) “to do” is structurally incorrect after “have to” (wait, it’s “have to do” – the blank comes after “have to”, so just “do” is needed). (c) “act” is a meaning trap.
19 (c) make
- Explanation: We “make an effort”, meaning we produce the energy to achieve something.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a common mistake. (b) “put” is a strong distractor (you “put effort into”, not “put an effort”). (d) “making” is grammatically wrong.
20 (b) did
- Explanation: “Do wonders” is an idiom meaning to have a very beneficial effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “brought” is a strong distractor. (c) “doing” is grammatically wrong (needs past simple here). (d) “made” is a common mistake.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The “DO” Rule (Activities & Effects):
Use “Do” when talking about:
- Work/Jobs/Tasks: do my job, do business, do some work.
- General actions: do anything, do the right thing.
- Effects/Impacts: do harm, do damage, do someone good, do wonders.
2 The “MAKE” Rule (Creation & Communication):
Use “Make” when talking about:
- Producing/Creating something new: make a mistake, make an error, make a choice.
- Speaking/Communicating: make a complaint, make a comment, make an apology, make an excuse.
- Reactions & Efforts: make a scene, make an effort, make amends.
Golden Tip: If you “produce” a result that wasn’t there before (like a text message, an error, or an apology), you MAKE it. If you perform an ongoing action or deal with an effect (like a job, damage, or harm), you DO it.