Make vs. Do – English Grammar Exercises for B1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Read the email carefully, as all questions are part of an official announcement from the department manager to the staff.
Subject: Important Update – New Equipment Supplier Selected
1 Dear Team, I am writing to inform you that after a long and intense meeting, the management board has finally ______ a firm decision.
(a) done
(b) decided
(c) made
(d) to make
2 We all knew that we needed to ______ something about our outdated office computers before the end of the year.
(a) do
(b) make
(c) solve
(d) doing
3 Waiting for this critical update didn’t ______ anyone any good, and I appreciate your patience.
(a) bring
(b) make
(c) did
(d) do
4 Yesterday, the board had to ______ a very difficult choice between three leading technology suppliers.
(a) pick
(b) make
(c) do
(d) making
5 First, I want to thank the IT team, who ______ their absolute best during the entire evaluation process.
(a) achieved
(b) does
(c) did
(d) made
6 We recognized that the old servers were ______ more harm than good to our daily productivity.
(a) doing
(b) creating
(c) making
(d) done
7 Our technical team ______ extensive research on the available hardware options over the last month.
(a) did
(b) made
(c) ran
(d) doing
8 Before signing the contract, we had to ______ sure that the new partner could deliver the devices by next Monday.
(a) do
(b) keep
(c) makes
(d) make
9 The finance department ______ an excellent job negotiating a cost-effective contract for us.
(a) completed
(b) made
(c) done
(d) did
10 This new partnership will ______ it much easier for all of us to process large client orders.
(a) make
(b) allow
(c) do
(d) to make
11 We are highly confident that we are ______ the right thing for the company’s long-term growth.
(a) doing
(b) acting
(c) making
(d) do
12 Next week, please ______ an effort to attend the orientation session for the new operating system.
(a) put
(b) do
(c) make
(d) making
13 If you have any technical issues during the setup, don’t hesitate to ______ a comment in the IT support chat.
(a) say
(b) do
(c) to make
(d) make
14 I promise that this much-needed software upgrade will ______ wonders for our workflow efficiency.
(a) create
(b) do
(c) make
(d) did
15 The board ______ no secret of the fact that our previous vendor was severely underperforming.
(a) kept
(b) did
(c) make
(d) made
16 Some of you might ______ a fuss about learning a new interface, but I assure you it is highly intuitive.
(a) make
(b) throw
(c) do
(d) to make
17 The new supplier has officially agreed to ______ business with us at a heavily discounted corporate rate.
(a) deal
(b) do
(c) make
(d) doing
18 Furthermore, they will ______ an exception to their standard shipping policy to get us fully set up this weekend.
(a) allow
(b) do
(c) make
(d) made
19 I expect all department heads to ______ the necessary arrangements for the installation by Friday evening.
(a) do
(b) prepare
(c) to making
(d) make
20 Ultimately, we believe this strategic decision will ______ a significant difference in our operational success.
(a) do
(b) result
(c) make
(d) makes
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) made
- Explanation: “Make a decision” is a fixed collocation representing the creation of a choice or plan.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “done” is a common mistake (confusing the two verbs). (b) “decided” is a meaning trap (“decided a decision” is redundant). (d) “to make” is a structural error (needs the past participle “made” for Present Perfect).
2 (a) do
- Explanation: We use “do” for general actions or non-specific activities (“do something”, “do nothing”).
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “make” is a common mistake. (c) “solve” is a meaning trap (we “solve a problem,” but we don’t “solve something about”). (d) “doing” is a structural error after “needed to”.
3 (d) do
- Explanation: “Do someone good” is an idiom meaning to be beneficial to someone.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “bring” is a strong distractor that sounds logically correct but is idiomatically wrong. (b) “make” is a common mistake. (c) “did” is a structural error after the auxiliary “didn’t”.
4 (b) make
- Explanation: You “make a choice” because you are producing a selection from options.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “pick” is a meaning trap (“pick a choice” is awkward and redundant). (c) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “making” is a structural error after “had to”.
5 (c) did
- Explanation: “Do one’s best” means to put forth the maximum amount of effort.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “achieved” is a meaning trap. (b) “does” is a structural error (the sentence is in the past tense). (d) “made” is a common mistake.
6 (a) doing
- Explanation: “Do harm” is a standard phrase referring to causing negative effects.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “creating” is a strong distractor. (c) “making” is a common mistake. (d) “done” is a structural error (requires Present Participle “doing” for Past Continuous).
7 (a) did
- Explanation: “Do research” represents the process or activity of gathering information.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “made” is a common mistake. (c) “ran” is a meaning trap (we can “run a test,” but not “run research”). (d) “doing” is a structural error (needs Past Simple).
8 (d) make
- Explanation: “Make sure” is an expression meaning to confirm or establish that something is true.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a common mistake. (b) “keep” is a meaning trap (“keep sure” does not exist). (c) “makes” is a structural error after “had to”.
9 (d) did
- Explanation: We “do a job” because it involves performing an action or task.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “completed” is a meaning trap (you complete a task, but the idiom is “do an excellent job”). (b) “made” is a common mistake. (c) “done” is a structural error (requires Past Simple here).
10 (a) make
- Explanation: We “make it easier” because we are producing a new condition or state.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “allow” is a meaning trap (we “allow us to process”, but not “allow it easier”). (c) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “to make” is a structural error after the modal “will”.
11 (a) doing
- Explanation: “Do the right thing” refers to performing a correct or ethical action.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “acting” is a meaning trap. (c) “making” is a common mistake. (d) “do” is a structural error (needs Present Participle after “are”).
12 (c) make
- Explanation: We “make an effort” because we are creating or generating the energy to do something.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “put” is a strong distractor (you “put effort into”, but you don’t “put an effort”). (b) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “making” is a structural error.
13 (d) make
- Explanation: “Make a comment” means to produce a statement or opinion.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “say” is a meaning trap (we “say things,” but we don’t “say a comment”). (b) “do” is a common mistake. (c) “to make” is a structural error (requires bare infinitive after “hesitate to” – wait, the gap is after “to”, so “to to make” would be double “to”).
14 (b) do
- Explanation: “Do wonders” is an idiom meaning to have a highly beneficial effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “create” is a meaning trap. (c) “make” is a common mistake. (d) “did” is a structural error after the modal “will”.
15 (d) made
- Explanation: “Make no secret of” is an idiom meaning to speak openly about something without hiding it.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “kept” is a strong distractor (“kept it a secret” is correct, but “kept no secret of” is unnatural). (b) “did” is a common mistake. (c) “make” is a structural error (needs Past Simple).
16 (a) make
- Explanation: “Make a fuss” means to create an unnecessary display of emotion or complaint.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) “throw” is a meaning trap (we “throw a fit”, but not a fuss). (c) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “to make” is a structural error after “might”.
17 (b) do
- Explanation: “Do business” refers to the continuous activity of trading or professional dealing.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “deal” is a meaning trap. (c) “make” is a common mistake. (d) “doing” is a structural error after “agreed to”.
18 (c) make
- Explanation: We “make an exception” because we are creating a special rule outside the norm.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “allow” is a strong distractor. (b) “do” is a common mistake. (d) “made” is a structural error after the modal “will”.
19 (d) make
- Explanation: “Make arrangements” means to produce a plan or prepare for an event.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a common mistake. (b) “prepare” is a meaning trap (“prepare arrangements” is redundant). (c) “to making” is a structural error.
20 (c) make
- Explanation: “Make a difference” means to create a significant change or effect.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) “do” is a common mistake. (b) “result” is a meaning trap. (d) “makes” is a structural error after “will”.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The “MAKE” Rule (Creation & Proactive Output):
Use “Make” when a person actively produces a thought, a rule, a choice, or a plan. In business, leaders don’t just act; they create the path forward.
- Examples in this context: make a decision, make a choice, make sure, make an effort, make a comment, make a fuss, make an exception, make arrangements, make a difference.
- Note: You make a decision because it is a mental “product” generated after a meeting.
2 The “DO” Rule (Execution & Ongoing Actions):
Use “Do” for executing tasks, ongoing professional activities, general actions, or the impact of those actions.
- Examples in this context: do something, do someone good, do your best, do harm, do research, do a job, do the right thing, do wonders, do business.
Pro Tip: Remember the timeline of a project! You DO the research (the activity), then you MAKE a decision (the result), and finally, that decision will DO wonders (the impact).