Mastering English Collocations: Why Make and Do Are Tricky

Confused by ‘make’ and ‘do’? Learn the critical rules and common collocations to improve your.

Why Make vs Do Collocations Matters

This engaging lesson uses pop culture, movies, music, and student participation to teach English vocabulary, grammar, and conversational expressions.

Make vs Do Collocations: Fast Recap

This interactive English lesson uses pop culture to teach complex English collocations, specifically the differences between ‘make’ and ‘do,’ and expanding fluency through thematic idioms and active reading practice.

The main goal is mastering tricky English phrases—like knowing when to ‘make’ versus ‘do’ something—and building fluency through practical, themed idioms and focused reading practice.

The Rules of ‘Make’ vs. ‘Do’: While ‘make’ generally means fabricating something and ‘do’ means carrying out an action, The episode stresses that there are countless exceptions. Students must memorize specific phrases, such as ‘do business,’ ‘make a deal,’ ‘make a mountain out of a molehill,’ and ‘make up for lost time.’

What to Practise

• First, focus on learning ‘make’ and ‘do’ collocations as complete phrases (e.g. ‘do business’ or ‘make a deal’), as grammar rules have too many exceptions.
• Next, practice reading texts aloud instead of silently. This technique significantly improves pronunciation and speaking skills, making your English sound more natural.
• Also, select reading or listening materials based on personal interests (hobbies, jokes) to maintain motivation and improve overall comprehension.
• However, listen to fast, authentic movie clips to expose yourself to natural pronunciation, slang, and colloquial expressions in their original context.
• Therefore, learn idiomatic expressions by grouping them thematically (like sports idioms or horse idioms) for better understanding and usage.

Make vs Do Collocations: Episode Roadmap

Practical Advice for Improving English

The lesson suggests reading texts aloud rather than silently. This technique is vital for improving practical speaking skills and ensuring that even advanced learners sound natural.

put someone through vs. communicate

Teaches the professional phrasal verb ‘put someone through’ (e.g. ‘I’ll put you through to the finance department’), helping learners sound more polite and natural in business phone calls.

Make vs. Do: Collocation Clarification

Clarifies the confusing grammar between ‘make’ and ‘do,’ explaining the theoretical difference (fabricating vs. carrying out an action) but strongly emphasizing that memorizing specific, common collocations is the best method.

Sports Idioms Practice (‘touch base’)

Features a mini-dialogue rich with sports idioms like ‘touch base,’ ‘that’s the way the ball bounces,’ ‘the ball’s in your court,’ and ‘par for the course,’ showing real-life usage in conversation.

Collocation Quiz on Make vs. Do

An intensive, interactive quiz segment rapidly tests students on ‘make’ vs. ‘do’ collocations, covering phrases like ‘make a deal,’ ‘do a favor,’ ‘make an effort,’ and ‘make friends.’.

Pronunciation Challenge (Ace vs. A’s)

Addresses common pronunciation confusion by resolving the ‘Homophones Challenge,’ demonstrating subtle sound differences between ‘ace’ and ‘A’s’ to correct common learner misconceptions.

Key Ideas to Remember

• First, memorize ‘make’ and ‘do’ collocations as complete phrases (e.g. ‘do business’ or ‘make a deal’). Therefore, there are too many exceptions to the standard grammar rules.
• Next, read texts aloud instead of silently to actively improve pronunciation, vocabulary, and natural speaking flow.
• Also, select learning materials focused on personal interests (hobbies, jokes) to boost motivation and comprehensive understanding.
• However, listen to fast, unadapted movie clips to hear natural slang, pronunciation, and colloquial expressions in context.
• Therefore, learn common idioms by grouping them thematically (like sports phrases or horse phrases) to enhance natural expression.

Make vs Do Collocations: Vocabulary

English	Español	Note / Uso
no comment	sin comentarios	A direct comparison was made to the phrase ‘sin commentarios’.
in the know	enterados	Refers to students being ‘in the know’; compared to ‘interados’.
make / do	hacer	This episode explains that Spanish uses one verb for both; compared to ‘aer’.
make the most of	aprovechar al máximo	Phonetically transcribed as ‘proan maximo’.
in the middle of nowhere	en medio de la nada	Host corrected ‘in media’ to mean ‘en medio’.
solemnly swear	lo juro	This episode asks students to raise their right hand; transcribed as ‘yurudo’.
make it	éxito / tener éxito	Host references making it; transcribed directly as ‘exito’.
mobster	mafioso	Host uses ‘mafio’ as a synonym for mobster.
foul-mouthed	malhablado	Transcribed phonetically as ‘malabl’.
ace (playing card)	un as	Host explains the homophone; transcribed as ‘unas’.
put someone through	comunicar a alguien / conectar una llamada	A professional phrasal verb used on the phone to connect a caller with the desired person.
do business	hacer negocios	A specific English collocation; unlike Spanish. This uses ‘hacer’ for everything, English requires ‘do business’.
make up	recuperar / inventar	A versatile phrasal verb used for recovering missed items (like a class) or fabricating a story (‘making it up’).
kiss and make up	besarse y hacer las paces	An expression used when people reconcile after an argument.
make a mountain out of a molehill	hacer una montaña de un grano de arena / ahogarse en un vaso de agua	An idiom used when someone exaggerates a minor issue or difficulty.
make a fool of yourself	hacer el ridículo	A collocation used when someone does something embarrassing in front of others.
make do	apañárselas / conformarse	An expression meaning to manage for the time being with whatever resources are available, even if they aren’t ideal.
make it up to someone	compensar a alguien	An expression used to tell someone you will compensate them. Therefore, you wronged them or canceled plans.

Practice Ideas

Concept	Explanation	Why it matters
Make vs. Do	Theoretically, ‘make’ is used when fabricating something, and ‘do’ is used when executing an action. However, due to many exceptions, learners must memorize specific collocations (e.g. ‘do business’ or ‘make a deal’).	This is highly confusing for Spanish speakers who only use one verb, ‘hacer’, for both concepts. Mastering these fixed phrases helps avoid common mistakes and sound more natural.
Reading Aloud	The technique of reading texts (books, articles) out loud instead of silently in one’s head.	This practice significantly improves vocabulary and practical speaking skills, helping learners avoid sounding unnatural.
Homophones	Words that sound identical but have different meanings. The lesson specifically clarified that some commonly mistaken pairs (like ‘ace’ and ‘A’s’) are not homophones.	Correcting small pronunciation details instantly improves a speaker’s perceived professionalism and confidence.
Thematic Idioms	Idiomatic phrases grouped by topics (e.g. sports like ‘touch base’ or horses like ‘hold your horses’).	Learning these thematic phrases helps learners better understand native speakers and provides them with varied, natural ways to express themselves.
Phrasal Verbs and Expressions with ‘Make’	Various versatile uses of the verb ‘make’, such as ‘make up’ (to reconcile or invent), ‘make do’ (to manage for the time being), and ‘make it up to someone’ (to compensate for a wrong).	Understanding how a single verb can be combined with prepositions to mean entirely different things helps students master tricky English phrasing and conversational nuances.

Examples From the Episode

Source / Moment	Why it helps	Review cue
Goodfellas (1990 Film)	Used in the ‘Say What Soundbite’ segment to practice listening to fast, natural, and heavily improvised English dialogue.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Dark Horse (2011 Film)	Features vocabulary like ‘arrested development,’ ‘avid,’ ‘cesspool,’ and ‘on the rebound’ in a cinematic context.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Frank Sinatra (Song Lyric)	Quotes the lyric ‘If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere’ to illustrate the use of ‘make it,’ demonstrating how ‘make’ is used to express possibility or capability.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Relax (Song)	Mentioned in the context of lead singer Holly Johnson’s birthday, quoting the lyric ‘Relax, don’t do it, when you want to come to it’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Katy Perry – Dark Horse (Song)	Referenced the lyrics ‘ready for the perfect storm’ while explaining the idiom ‘dark horse’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Sports Idioms Mini-dialogue	A practical conversational roleplay between Damian and the episode demonstrating sports idioms: ‘touch base’, ‘that’s the way the ball bounces’, ‘ball’s in your court’, ‘par for the course’, and ‘behind the eightball’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Telephone Phrasal Verbs Mini-dialogue	Practical examples of professional phone etiquette using the phrasal verb ‘put someone through’, e.g. ‘I’ll put you through to the finance department’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Davis Cup History (Fact / Dates)	The Davis Cup was established in 1900 (126 years ago) by Dwight F. Davis. It is organized by the International Tennis Federation, features 155 participating nations, and the USA holds 32 titles.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.

Common Learner Traps

Watch out for	Why it matters	Better move
Make vs. Do	Theoretically, ‘make’ is used when fabricating something, and ‘do’ is used when executing an action. However, due to many exceptions, learners must memorize specific collocations (e.g. ‘do business’ or ‘make a deal’).	This is highly confusing for Spanish speakers who only use one verb, ‘hacer’, for both concepts. Mastering these fixed phrases helps avoid common mistakes and sound more natural.
Homophones	Words that sound identical but have different meanings. The lesson specifically clarified that some commonly mistaken pairs (like ‘ace’ and ‘A’s’) are not homophones.	Correcting small pronunciation details instantly improves a speaker’s perceived professionalism and confidence.
Phrasal Verbs and Expressions with ‘Make’	Various versatile uses of the verb ‘make’, such as ‘make up’ (to reconcile or invent), ‘make do’ (to manage for the time being), and ‘make it up to someone’ (to compensate for a wrong).	Understanding how a single verb can be combined with prepositions to mean entirely different things helps students master tricky English phrasing and conversational nuances.

Try It Yourself

Use these prompts after reading the article. They are designed for active recall: say the answer aloud first, then check the tables above.

1. Explain this in your own words: Focus on learning ‘make’ and ‘do’ collocations as complete phrases (e.g. ‘do business’ or ‘make a deal’), as grammar rules have too many exceptions.
2. Explain this in your own words: Practice reading texts aloud instead of silently. This technique significantly improves pronunciation and speaking skills, making your English sound more natural.
3. Explain this in your own words: Select reading or listening materials based on personal interests (hobbies, jokes) to maintain motivation and improve overall comprehension.
4. Make one original sentence with “no comment” without starting from “sin comentarios” in Spanish.
5. Make one original sentence with “in the know” without starting from “enterados” in Spanish.
6. Make one original sentence with “make it” without starting from “éxito / tener éxito” in Spanish.

Make vs Do Collocations: Glossary

Term	Meaning / Spanish
no comment	sin comentarios
in the know	enterados
make it	éxito / tener éxito
solemnly swear	lo juro
mobster	mafioso
foul-mouthed	malhablado
casualties	bajas
makeshift	improvisado
ace	un as / experto / crack
winning brew	mezcla ganadora
hands	manos
on the rebound	de rebote

Questions Learners Ask

What is the difference between 'make' and 'do' in English?

In theory, 'make' is used when fabricating something. Meanwhile, 'do' is for carrying out an action. However. Therefore, there are many exceptions, The episode recommends memorizing specific English collocations as complete phrases, such as 'do business', 'make a deal', or 'make an effort'.

How can reading aloud improve my spoken English?

Reading texts out loud, rather than silently in your head, actively trains your pronunciation and helps you sound more natural when speaking. This episode suggests choosing reading material based on your personal interests to stay motivated and improve comprehension.

Are the words 'ace' and 'A's' homophones?

No, they are not homophones. Though many English learners confuse them, 'ace' (meaning a perfect tennis serve or an expert) and 'A's' (the plural of the letter A) are pronounced differently. Mastering these small pronunciation details makes you sound more professional.

What does the English idiom 'the ball's in your court' mean?

Derived from tennis, this idiom means it is someone else's turn to take action or make a decision. It is commonly used in everyday English conversation alongside other sports idioms like 'touch base' or 'par for the course'.

What are some common horse-related idioms in English?

Common horse idioms discussed in the episode include 'hold your horses' (telling someone to relax, slow down, or wait), 'horsing around' (playing roughly or goofing off), and hearing something 'straight from the horse's mouth' (getting information directly from the original source).

Why is listening to unadapted movie clips good for learning English?

Listening to fast, unadapted dialogue from movies like Goodfellas or Dark Horse exposes learners to natural native pronunciation, advanced vocabulary, slang, and real-world phrasing in its original context. This drastically improves practical listening comprehension.

Make vs Do Collocations: Quick Quiz

Review Cards