English Grammar Step by Step

   Insert the appropriate form of do or make in the spaces provided.

1  Examples:
   If you don't do your homework, you'll stay here the whole afternoon.
   I did my best/utmost, but it wasn't sufficient.
   "Can you do me a favour, please?"
   "Sure!"
   I always have to do the shopping and the cooking.
   We can't do anything about it.
   What should we do?

   We use do when we refer to work, actions, or when we say something in general terms.

a  You never __________ anything at home!
b  You should __________ your teeth before going to bed every night.
c  We must try and __________ business with them.
d  I can't go out tonight. I have to __________ a translation from ancient Greek to English.
e  Don't worry: this will __________.


2  Examples:
   I hate making beds.
   Try to make an effort.
   I must go now. I have to make a phone call.
   If you like, I'll make you a cup of tea.
   I have to make a speech tomorrow evening.
   We made a voyage across the Atlantic.
   That made him jump with joy.
   The police made them confess their crime.
   They made me fill in a form.

   Make conveys the idea of "bringing into being", "producing an effect" or "forcing someone to perform something". Yet, it is not always easy to choose between do and make, since there are many exceptions to the rules given in this unit. For instance, in the first sentence above "making beds" refer to an action, but we use "make", not "do". If you are in doubt, try to use another verb. For example, instead of "making a confession", you can say "confess".

a  Don't __________ a fire. It's a fire hazard!
b  We __________ a huge profit by selling our company to a giant multinational. (simple past)
c  If everything goes as he expects, he'll have __________ a highly significant discovery for the humankind towards the end of the year.
d  We should like to __________ a donation of half a million pounds to cope with this research.
e  He __________ her tremble with fear. (simple past)


3  Revision exercise.
a  __________ your hair before you go out.
b  She always __________ what she wishes. She's terribly spoilt.
c  Her fans think that she can __________ no wrong.
d  She __________ a fortune by investing in government bonds. (simple past)
e  That __________ her sad. (simple past)
f  Her daughter __________ her nails almost every day.
g  They don't __________ anything. They're lying on their beds all day reading comics and listening to music.
h  His wife is working now and he is on the dole, so he has to __________ the cooking, the laundry, the washing up, the shopping and many other things in the house. He's a real house husband now.
i  He __________ me a bad turn last week.
j  This will __________ them incur heavy losses.
k  We don't know what to __________. Can you tell us what to __________?
l  Running up and down stairs __________ me feel tired. (simple present)
m  If you don't __________ your duty, you'll put yourself into trouble.
n  You __________ right by telling them the whole matter. (simple past)
o  "How is she __________ at school?
p  He's __________ Italian and Catalan at the moment.
q  It's much better to __________ peace with somebody than to __________ war on them.
r  You __________ the salad and I'll __________ the dishes.
s  Do you like this swimming costume? I __________ it myself.
t  He detests everything she __________.
u  His story __________ her laugh. (simple past)
v  Don't __________ such a noise, or they'll hear us.
w  This car __________ sixty miles to the gallon. It's the most economical model on the market.
x  We can't __________ Rome in a day. There's a lot to see there.
y  She __________ a lot of friends there. (simple past)
z  You're not __________ things easier!