TECHNICAL ENGLISH COURSE

Instructor: Patricia Kopa Vizcarra

DO vs MAKE
Zonal Arequipa - Puno
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LINK:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRazqPaZS-M&ab_channel=FranciscoOchoaIngl%C3%A9sF%C3%A1cil
DO AND MAKE are two verbs which frequently confuse students of English.
1. USES:
a. We use “DO” when someone performs actions, repetitive tasks and obligations. In other words,
“DO” is often used when referring to work of any kind and referring to the action itself.
b. We use “MAKE” for creating, producing and constructing. In other words, “MAKE” is often used
when referring to the result.

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Make and do often have similar meanings. Sometimes we use make and sometimes we use do. There are
no fixed rules. So you should learn some of these phrases.
DO
business damage an exercise good a job
repairs research well - badly - better work wrong

MAKE
an appointment an arrangement a budget a choice a complaint
a decision a loss a mistake money an offer
a profit progress a report sure a trip

Now look at the following dialogue with make and do:

A: So, how did your company do last year?
B: We did very well. We made a profit of $1.2 billion.
A: How did you make so much money?
B: We did a lot of work on our forecasts.
A: So you didn't make any mistakes in your budgets?
B: No, we didn’t.
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Exercise 1:
Choose the correct verb in the following sentences.
1. I did/made an appointment for next week.
2. Sarah has too much work to do/make.
3. We are doing/making a good profit.
4. Pablo did/made a plan for the South American market last week.
5. The storm did/made a lot of damage.
6. Unfortunately the RAMA 20 is doing/making a loss.
7. Can you do/make a list of possible target markets?
8. Make/Do me a favour. Send Angela a copy of this report.

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Exercise 2:
Two colleagues are discussing a meeting. Their company has produced a new product, BIGGO. Fill the
spaces in the dialogue with an appropriate form of do or make.

Amy: Was it a good meeting?

Leo: Yes, we made (PAST) a decision. We are going to increase production of BIGGO.
Amy: What about the costs?
Leo: We made (PAST) a new budget. We think we will do (INF) more business next year. We’ll make
(INF) a profit of £200,000.
Amy: Good. Do you know that Rospa Ltd. Have made (PP) a complaint about our BIGGO promotion?
Leo: Yes, they are making (ING) a big mistake. We have done (PP) nothing wrong. We have done
(PP) our research. Rospa know that BIGGO is going to make INF) money. With good marketing
we will make (INF) sure that we do (INF) better than Rospa next year.

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Exercise 3:
Complete the sentences below. Replace the underlined MAKE or DO in the correct tense.

1. We work with a lot of companies in France. We _____do______ (INF) business in France.

2. There is a mistake here. You are ____making______ (ING) a mistake
3. We are very happy They worked well. They _____did_____ (PAST) a good job.
4. The meeting was very long but it has been We ____do________ (PRESENT PERFECT)
useful. progress.
4. They suggested a price but it was too low. They______make____ (PAST) an offer, but it was
too low.
5. We had to choose: to cut production or to cut We had to ____did______ (INF) a choice.
the price.
6. Our engineers have studied the problem. They ____do______ (PRESENT PERFECT) the
research.

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2. ¿CUANDO UTILIZAR DO?

a. QUEHACERES DEL HOGAR

• Do the laundry (lavar la ropa)
• Do the dishes (lavar los platos)
• Do the housework (hacer los quehaceres del hogar)
• Do the shopping (hacer las compras del supermercado)
Examples:

•I did some shopping after going to the library (Hice algunas compras después de ir a la biblioteca)
•I can help you doing the dishes (Yo puedo ayudar lavando los platos)
•My brother never wants to do the housework (Mi hermano nunca quiere hacer los quehaceres de
la casa)

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 b.ACCIONES GENERALES O ACCIONES BUENAS O MALAS
• Do anything/everything/something/nothing (Hacer cualquier cosa/ hacer todo/ hacer algo/hacer
nada)
• Do well (hacerlo bien)
• Do badly (hacerlo mal)
• Do good (hacer el bien)
• Do the right thing (hacer lo correcto)
• Do your best (dar lo mejor de ti)
Examples
• I don’t think I did well in the job interview
(No creo que me haya ido bien en la entrevista de trabajo)
• I always do everything without your help
(Siempre hago todo sin tu ayuda)
• My mom always advised me to do the right thing
(Mi mama siempre me recomendó hacer lo correcto)
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 c. CUIDADO DE TU CUERPO

• Do your hair (peinarse)

• Do exercise (ejercitarse)

• Do your nails (hacerlas uñas

Examples

• We’re going out, do your hair before we leave!

(Saldremos, péinate antes de que nos vayamos!)

• I do exercise every day at 8am

(Me ejercito todos los dias a las 8am)

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 d. TRABAJO & ESTUDIO
•Do business (hacer negocios)
•Do homework (hacer la tarea)
•Do work (hacer trabajo)
•Do a good/great/terrible job (hacer un buen/muy bueno/terrible trabajo)
•Do a report (hacer un reporte)
•Do a course (hacer o tomar un curso)
Ejemplos:
•I am traveling to South Africa to do some business.
(viajaré a Sudáfrica para hacer algunos negocios)
•Please leave, I need to do some work
(por favor vete, necesito hacer algo de trabajo)

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 3. ¿CUANDO UTILIZAR MAKE?
a. PARA HABLAR DE DINERO
•Make money (ganar dinero)
•Make a profit (hacer ganacias)
•Make a fortune (hacer una fortuna)
•Make $ (ganar una cantidad de dinero)
•Make a month (el dinero que ganas mensualmente como salario
Ejemplos:
•You make a lot of money by washing cars
(ganas mucho dinero por lavar autos)
•How much do you make a month?
(¿cuánto dinero ganas mensualmente?)

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 b.PARA HABLAR DE COMIDA

• Make breakfast/lunch/dinner

• Make a sandwich

• Make a cup of tea

• Make a reservation

• Ejemplos:

• My mom makes breakfast on Sundays.

(mi mama hace desayuno los domingos)

• We made a reservation for two

(hicimos una reservacion para dos)

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 c. PARA TEMAS DE PAREJAS O RELACIONES INTERPERSONALES
•Make Friends (hacer amigos)
•Make love (hacer el amor)
•Make a pass at (coquetear)
•Make fun of someone (burlarse de alguien)
•Make up (hacer las pases)
Ejemplos:
•I made so many new friends in Canada
(hice tantos nuevos amigos en Canada)
•I guy just made a pass at me at the bus stop
(un chico acaba de coquetear conmigo en la parade de autobus)
•Alex and Juan made up after the fight
(Alex y Juan hicieron las pases después de la pelea)

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 d. COMUNICACION Ejemplos:
•Make a phone call (hacer una llamada telefónica) • Mario made a joke but he was
•Make a joke (hacer una broma)
•Make a point (mencionar puntos importantes) being sarcastic)
•Make a bet (hacer una apuesta) • (Mario hizo una broma pero
•Make a complaint (hacer una queja) estaba siendo sarcástico)
•Make a confession (hacer una confesión)
• I made a complaint at the
•Make a speech (dar un discurso)
restaurant
•Make a suggestion (dar una sugerencia)
• (hice una queja en el
•Make a prediction (hacer una predicción)
restaurante)
•Make an excuse (dar una excusa)
• Don’t make a fuss, she needs
•Make a promise (hacer una promesa)
time to learn how to do things.
•Make a fuss (escandalizarse)
• (no te escandalices, ella
•Make an observation (hacer una observación)
necesita tiempo para aprender
•Make a comment (hacer un comentario)
a hacer las cosas)

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 e. PARA PLANES Y PROGRESOS
•Make Friends (hacer amigos)
Ejemplos:
•Make plans (hacer planes)
• We’re making plans for the weekend
•Make a decision/choice (tomar una decisión)
(estamos hacienda planes para el fin de
•Make a mistake (cometer un error)
semana)
•Make progress (progresar en algo)
• One of the best ways to learn English is
•Make an attempt/effort (hacer un intento)
by making mistakes
•Make up your mind (decidirse)
(una de las mejores formas de aprender
•Make a discovery (hacer un descubrimiento)
inglés es al cometer errores)
•Make a list (hacer una lista) • Should I eat pizza or sushi? I can’t
•Make sure (asegurarse)
make up my mind!
•Make a difference (hacer la diferencia)
(¿cómo pizza o sushi? ¡No puedo
•Make an exception (hacer una excepsión)
decidirme!)

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Exercises:
https://es.liveworksheets.com/worksheets/en/English_as_a_Second_Language
_(ESL)/Make_or_do/Make_or_do_-_collocations_ha363ei

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