MAKE vs DO - Learn Collocations Through Stories:Mia's Busy Day
- Rose Sensei
- Mar 16
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
What Are Collocations?
Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Native speakers use them instinctively, and using the correct collocation makes your English sound more fluent and natural.
For example, we say "make a decision" instead of "do a decision." Both words mean similar things, but only "make"sounds natural in this phrase.
Let's join Mia on her busy day and learn about the collocations (make vs do) through this fun story!
Watch and Learn! For video lessons that bring this content to life, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out the YouTube video:
Learn Grammar Through Stories MAKE vs DO
>>Mia's Busy Day: https://youtu.be/MQtuG_Mxj1Y
Mia’s Busy Day - Conversational Dialogue Story
Scene 1: Morning Routine
(Mia is in the kitchen making breakfast when her roommate, Lily, walks in.)
Lily: Good morning, Mia! You’re up early.
Mia: Yeah, I need to make a phone call before work.
Lily: Oh, and can you do the dishes before you leave?
Mia: Sure! Let me just make some coffee first.
(QUIZ: Which is correct?)
A) Make the dishes B) Do the dishes
(Answer: _______ )
Scene 2: At Work
(Mia is at the office with her colleague, Jake.)
Jake: Hey, Mia, can you help me do some research for the project?
Mia: Of course! I also need to make a decision about our next marketing campaign.
Jake: Let’s have a meeting later and make a plan together.
(QUIZ: Fill in the blank!)
Mia needs to ______ a decision about the marketing campaign.
(Answer: _______ )
Scene 3: Evening Plans
(Mia meets her friend, Emma, at a café.)
Emma: I had such a busy day! I had to do so many tasks at work.
Mia: Same here! But I’m happy I could make time to meet you.
Emma: Let’s make plans for a weekend trip soon!
Mia: That sounds great! Oh, can you do me a favor and remind me to book the hotel?
(QUIZ: True or False?)
We say “Do a plan”.
(Answer: _______ )
Scene 4: Wrapping Up the Day
(Mia returns home and talks to Lily.)
Lily: So, did you get everything done today? Mia: Yes! I helped Jake do research, I made an important decision, and I even did some exercise after work!
Lily: Wow, you were productive! Now, let’s make some popcorn and watch a movie.
Mia’s Busy Day Quiz Answer:
Scene 1: Morning Routine (Answer: B) Do the dishes ✅)
Scene 2: At Work (Answer: Make ✅)
Scene 3: Evening Plans (Answer: ❌ False! We say “Make a plan”) ✅
(FINAL QUIZ: Choose the correct collocation!)
Do / Make a promise
Do / Make the laundry
Do / Make a mistake
Do / Make business
(Answers: 1. Make, 2. Do, 3. Make, 4. Do) ✅
The End! 🎬
Final Challenge: Try writing about your own busy day using at least five collocations from the story!
A. Learn Collocations Make vs. Do – What’s the Difference?
Both "make" and "do" are used in collocations, but they have different meanings:
Verb | Usage | Examples |
Make | Focuses on creating, producing, or causing something | make a mistake, make dinner, make money, make a plan |
Do | Focuses on actions, tasks, and work | do homework, do the laundry, do a job, do exercise |
B. How to Use Make vs. Do in Sentences
🔹 Make (Creating or producing)
✔ She made a cake for her sister’s birthday.
✔ I need to make a phone call before the meeting.
✔ We should make a list of things to buy.
🔹 Do (Actions or responsibilities)
✔ Have you done your homework yet?
✔ I do yoga every morning to stay fit.
✔ She did well on her exam.
C. Common Collocations with Make & Do
✅ Collocations with "Make"
make a decision → I need to make a decision about my job.
make a mistake → She made a mistake on the test.
make money → He makes money by selling handmade jewelry.
make an effort → You must make an effort to improve your English.
make a noise → Please don’t make too much noise in the library.
✅ Collocations with "Do"
do homework → I always do my homework before dinner.
do the laundry → She does the laundry every Sunday.
do a favour → Can you do me a favour and help with this?
do your best → Try to do your best in the competition!
do business → Our company does business with clients worldwide.
Practice Exercise 📝
Fill in the blanks with make or do:
I need to ______ a phone call.
Could you ______ me a favour?
He ______ a lot of mistakes in his report.
Let’s ______ some research before traveling.
She always ______ her best at work.
(Answers: 1. make, 2. do, 3. made, 4. do, 5. does)
🌟 5 Effective tips to learn collocations easily and naturally!
1️⃣ Learn Collocations in Context
✔ Read short stories, dialogues, and real-life examples (like Mia’s Busy Day!).✔ Watch English videos and notice word pairs (e.g., make a mistake, do homework).
2️⃣ Group Collocations by Topic
✔ Organize words into categories (e.g., work, daily life, travel).✔ Example:
Work: do research, make a decision
Cooking: make breakfast, do the dishes
3️⃣ Use Flashcards & Mind Maps
✔ Write the collocation on one side and an example sentence on the other.✔ Create word maps (e.g., “make” in the center with branches: make a plan, make friends).
4️⃣ Practice with Gap-Fill Exercises
✔ Complete sentences with the correct collocation:
“I need to _____ a phone call before the meeting.” (make/do?)
5️⃣ Speak & Write Regularly
✔ Use collocations in your daily writing & speaking.✔
Challenge: Try to use 3 new collocations per day!
💬 Comment Below:
1.What’s one thing you always “do” every day?
2.What’s the last important decision you “made”?
Let’s practise together!
Love This Content? Get more delivered to you! Sign up for our weekly email with fresh ideas for learning English.
For more related posts check out the links below.
Don't Just Read, Watch! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to complement this blog post with video tutorials and explanations.
Question? Contact us on the form below.
Comments