Teaching the difference between Make and Do to English Language Learners

Distinguishing the Differences in the middle of "Make" and "Do"

English as a Foreign Language learners like those whose first language or L1, is Spanish can have indispensable mystery in distinguishing when to use "make" and when to use "do". Why? It's because in Spanish, for example, the same verb, "hacer", is commonly used to relate both. The trick then, is to find a way of aiding these English language learners with production the distinction.

Here's how I do it.

Make

Essentially "make" means to "create" or cause something to happen or furnish a result.
You make a cake, make noise, make trouble or make friends.

Do

On the other hand, "do" ordinarily signifies plainly performing an performance without alluding to the results. So you do aerobics or exercises, do firm or do your job. You can do well or do badly, do great or do worse.

Other Uses of Make and Do

Depending on context, both make and do can be used in a sentence to give it different meanings. A good example is homework. Teachers make homework, but learners do homework.

The two verbs form a part of scores of idioms and expressions too. This can sometimes cause their contrast to be less clear, but ordinarily the definitions given above still hold true. Some added examples using "Do" and "Make" are:

Do

Do a dance, do a deal, do as you're told, do away with, do chores, do favors, do harm, do it yourself, do (it or something) over again, do man in, do the dishes, do the laundry, do the right thing, do time, do well, do without, do your best, do your duty

Make

Make a contract, make a delivery, make a difference, make a list, make a mess, make a phone call, make a point, make a profit, make a promise, make amends, make an effort, make believe, make contact, make enemies, make fun of someone, make love, make money, make news, make out, make over (very similar in context to do over), make peace, make room, make sense, make man happy, make man laugh, make man sad, make sure, make the bed, make time, make room, make tracks, make up (has multiple meanings), make up a story (same as create a story), make up your mind, make war, and make way

This is but a quick reference list to give you some idea of the range and contrast that using "do" and "make" can have in the colloquial English language. For the most part, after a session explaining and demonstrating these language elements in context, my learners have far fewer problems in distinguishing when to use "make" and when to use "do". I hope that this helps you and your Efl learners too.