Verbs Test 1

It is often confusing why the verb make may be used rather than the verb do, or do rather than make. These verbs are used in a very similar way but usually with different noun collocates (words which are often used together with other words). These verbs add the meaning of performing the action which the noun collocate refers to. There are no easy rules for knowing which verb should be used - you just have to be familiar with the collocations.

Make is often used with words like peace, war, love and money, while do is often used words like right, wrong, justice, good, harm and so on. But both are used in common colloquial expressions and idioms - we "make the beds" but "do the dishes". Try using the Web Concordancer to find examples.

The following tables show some common collocates for make and do found by the concordancer.

**Right collocates for 'make'**
acquisitions	clear	good	payments	saving
amendments	comparison	headway	peace	sense
amends	comparisons	judgments	plain	regulations
assumptions	concessions	known	profit	reparations
attractive	conditions	little	profits	square
believe	contact	love	programmes	straight
best	container	matters	progress	sure
better	contributions	merry	public	time
capital	decisions	millions	recommendations	trouble
careers	discounts	mistakes	reference	up
certain	do	money	regulations	use
change	ends	much	reparations	war
changes	fast	nests	repayments	waves
checks	fools	off	representations	way
choices	forecasts	out	room	wills
claims	friends	passes	sacrifices	worthwhile

**Right collocates for 'do'**
away	good	likewise	penance
better	gooder	little	right
business	harm	more	something
chores	homage	most	up
evil	honor	much	with
enough	jobs	nothing	without
favours	justice	otherwise	wrong

Your Name:

(i): You must (1) several experiments before (2) a report.

(ii). After (3) the beds and (4) the dishes, Ann (5) the shopping and then helped Jeremy (6) his sums.

(iii). (7) me a favour and stop (8) that terrible noise.

(iv). All the arrangements for our holiday had been (9) when the travel agency informed us that they had (10) a mistake.

(v). He has (11) a very good translation of the original.

(vi). To (12) use of all the facilities in the gymnasium, you should (13) a contract with the board of governors.

(vii). The company (14) a lot of business with Japan.

(viii). You must (15) the most of the situation and (16) with what you can find in the cottage.

(ix). He finds it easy to (17) promises, but (18) no effort to keep them.

(x). We (19) all the components ourselves, but don't (20) the advertising.

(xi). Archimedes was not the only one to (21) a great discovery while sitting in a bath.

(xii). Mr Jones succeeded in (22) an appointment after (23) several telephone calls.

(xiii). He was operated on a month ago and has now (24) a full recovery.

(xiv). The policeman maintained that the drunken driver had (25) a U-turn, and, to (26) matters worse, had resisted when arrested.