I am currently based in Spain and provide one-to-one tuition via Skype. As well as offering general English courses, I specialise in business English and exam preparation – including Cambridge (FCE, CAE), TOEIC, Trinity and IELTS.
Before becoming a teacher, I spent 20 years as a Management Consultant and Trainer. I also hold an MBA and understand the requirements of higher business courses and degrees. My lessons always focus on the individual level and study goals of the student, in order to ensure content is relevant and classes remain engaging. In my spare time, I enjoy writing books, listening to music and playing electric guitar.
For those who are overseas or new to life in the UK, this can be a genuine challenge. Our English for Nurses course is taught one-to-one via Skype with a native British English tutor and aims to enhance your worked-based language skills, specifically for employment within the NHS or private UK healthcare organisations.
English Language Requirement for Overseas Nurses in Britain
Before you can practise as a nurse in the UK, you must meet the criteria to register with the Nursing & Midwifery Council. For nurses from outside the EU, this means passing the Academic version of IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 (intermediate+ level). In January 2016, new rules were introduced requiring nurses and midwives from EU countries to provide “evidence of their ability to communicate safely and effectively in English” prior to NMC registration. Where such evidence cannot be provided, the applicant will be asked to sit the Academic IELTS exam. Following Brexit, it is likely that UK legislation regarding English for nurses will change again and that IELTS will become a prerequisite for all overseas staff.
At OTUK, we offer intensive and longer-term courses to assist medical professions with their preparation for the Academic IELTS examination.
Find out more about how to register as a nurse or midwife in the UK via the NMC.
Natural British English for Communication with Local Patients
Current statistics show that around 11-15% of NHS staff in the UK are recruited from overseas. Many of these doctors and nurses pass IELTS prior to registration, but do not have British English as a mother tongue. This leaves them at a disadvantage compared with their UK-born counterparts as they need to develop an understanding of local accents and colloquialisms, intercultural communication issues and standard hospital dialogue. This requires additional study and training of a specific type.
At OTUK, our English for Nurses course focuses not only on medical terminology, but also on typical communication between patients and hospital staff. This type of interaction can sometimes be informal in nature and intended to put the patient at ease or resolve situations involving emotional stress or conflict. A common criticism of overseas nurses is that they are often “too direct” (or may appear rude) when communicating in English with local patients. Misunderstandings of this kind can be avoided with the right language training and practice.
English for Nurses: How to Improve your Fluency Online
The secret to fluency in English is regular practice, whether this be through self-study or with a qualified tutor. While textbooks like Cambridge Medical English in Use provide a solid foundation for any English for nursing course, there are plenty of additional resources available online and free of charge. These include lists of medical vocabulary and even dedicated Youtube channels for nurses. For those wishing to improve their spoken fluency for nursing, Skype English lessons provide valuable practice and error correction with a native tutor, while also offering greater flexibility and access.
I offer formal classes on vocabulary topics, grammar, and areas of exam preparation, as well as conversational English lessons. I also have experience of preparing students for FCE, CAE, CPE and IELTS exams. I use a variety of teaching styles to suit each of my students, including the Callan Method.
I like to encourage self-study through homework between lessons and am happy to help you with any areas of your English that you would like to improve. All of my lessons are tailored to suit your individual level and study needs so the course is always relevant and interesting. I look forward to helping you with your English!
English conversation lessons for kids can provide a great way of ensuring frequent speaking practice with a native English teacher online. At OTUK, we specialise in British English courses for kids and cater for young international learners from the age of 5 years+.
Communication is the Key to Fluency
For kids to speak English well, they need to SPEAK English as often as possible! If they have limited opportunities to do so at home with the family or at school with teachers and friends, there is an immediate barrier to your child gaining conversational fluency in English. While the vast majority of schools tend to focus on reading, writing and grammar, English conversation for kids is seldom considered a priority. As a result, most children who grow up outside English speaking countries fail to acquire good spoken English. This then causes further difficulties later in life when it affects higher education choices and job prospects.
Conversational English classes for kids offer you the chance to give your child a head start and can be conducted with a native English teacher online from home, regardless of your family’s location and time zone. The flexibility of these e-courses helps you to organise regular “English contact sessions” for your son or daughter at a convenient time and without the need to travel.
A Positive Learning Experience at an Early Age
Many adult learners fail to achieve fluency in English due to negative learning experiences gained during childhood – often at school. Boring lessons, uninspiring teachers and disruptive behaviour from other pupils can all prevent a young learner from developing a passion for English and the fluency that comes with it. At OTUK, we believe that English conversation for kids should be engaging and directly connected with the learner’s existing hobbies and interests. Our British teachers ensure that each lesson is both educational and fun for your child. A positive learning experience at an early age often leads to fluency in later life so our aim is to help make English one of your child’s favourite subjects.
Investing in Your Child’s Future
Just like with private music tuition or sports coaching, English conversation lessons for kids represent a worthwhile investment in the personal development of your child. In an increasingly globalised and interconnected world, fluency in the international lingua franca of English has the potential to offer your child a brighter future in terms of their higher education, job prospects and travel opportunities. Our lessons are competitively priced and each course is specifically tailored to the individual level, study needs and personal interests of your child.
If you are interested in helping your son or daughter improve their English with a qualified native British teacher, contact us today to arrange a trial consultation via Skype!
Although I specialise in Business English, I am also passionate about creating unique and engaging lessons to really focus on improving the fluency and confidence needed to develop your English to the highest standard.
I always strive to provide individually tailored lessons and love students who are as involved in the learning process as I am! Whether you want to focus on delivering that key presentation, passing your IELTS exam or just improving your general conversation skills, I am here to help you every step of the way. Whatever your goals may be, I look forward to assisting you with your English.
I enjoy all aspects of teaching and love to see students achieve their goals, especially with IELTS exams, where many of my students have obtained scores of 8.5 (9.0 being the maximum). I have written 3 books and thousands of news articles, and run businesses for myself and others.
No two students are the same, so I adapt my teaching style to take this into account. I like my students to enjoy their lessons, so you will find they contain some humour, which I believe makes them more fun and the learning process much easier. I will provide all the material you need and much of this will contain easy to follow examples. I also use a different method to help with pronunciation, and this technique automatically helps to apply the correct stress for the word and to deliver it with an English accent.
I look forward to speaking with you soon and helping you with your English.
I currently live in Bulgaria, but have lived in Turkey, Russia, England and various countries in the Middle East.
I’m currently finishing off my MA in Applied Linguistics and English Teaching at Portsmouth University. I find linguistics, teaching and learning fascinating and love tutoring and learning languages. Having learned a foreign language myself, I know what it’s like to try and stay motivated and to strive towards your learning goals, so I empathise with my students as we work together to achieve your targets.
My experience before teaching was in the sphere of Human Resources and I have worked within some major multinational organisations based in the UK. I specialise in business English, as well as, job interview and exam preparation. Given my business background, I am able to engage with my students on a commercial and operational level and empathise with the professional challenges they face within their specific disciplines and industries. As such, we can use English within the lessons in a very implicit way which will really help you when you need to use it for real in your day to day business activities.
I also have particularly strong depth of expertise in preparing my students for the IELTS, BEC and CPE exams and love to have a shared goal and achieve the desired outcome. I will be with you every step of the way and show a level of commitment which will inspire your own work ethic for the exam.
I provide all of my students with material for the entirety of their courses and each lesson has a clear and defined goal.
Using mobile apps for learning English can help you develop your skills on the move while saving you time and money. A little extra study each day using English apps on your mobile device can greatly enhance your fluency in just a few months. In this study guide, we take a look at the top 10 free ESL apps available for smart phones and tablets today.
Duolingo
With over 100 million registered users, Duolingo is one of the most popular ESL apps currently available for download. This free service is available as a website as well as an app for iOS and Android devices. Duolingo employs a gamified learning system to make studying English (and other languages) more engaging and fun for its users. A unique feature of Duolingo is that users are presented with a “skill tree” rather than a standard list of lessons to work through and are given points for correctly completing tasks and making progress on the learning platform. This ESL app is great for learning new vocabulary and improving your written translation skills, which can be rated by other users.
iOS / Android
Memrise
As its name might suggest, this English app helps you memorise words and other information. It is mostly used for learning languages via flashcards and other interactive exercises, although there are sections dedicated to trivia, popular culture and other subjects. Courses are produced by other users in the online community and the app integrates with your account on the Memrise website. This ESL app uses some features of gamified learning and also includes a points system. This is a great app for learning English vocabulary.
iOS / Android
Wordsteps
This ESL app is designed to help users learn lists of English vocabulary on the go. Like with Memrise, Wordsteps allows its online community to produce and share content to help others. This content comes in the form of vocabulary lists, which cover every imaginable subject area – from basic adjectives to technical terminology. There are a variety of different test formats, including: translation to/from English, listening comprehension, spelling, etc. Wordsteps also allows you to schedule automated notifications and tests to ensure you never miss your next study slot.
iOS / Android
LinguaLeo
LinguaLeo is a freemium ESL app that focuses on a gamified approach to learning English with a points system and progress markers. Following an initial level test, this English app will generate an individual study programme based on your existing skills, objectives and preferences. Users complete exercises designed to improve their grammar, expand vocabulary and enhance reading and listening comprehension. One plus of this ESL app is that it uses real-life material, including 200,000 pieces of content like news items, popular songs, jokes and short videos. LinguaLeo is arguably more suited to younger learners, given its game-like presentation and emphasis on having fun while learning.
iOS / Android
British Council apps
For many years, the British Council has been promoting British language and culture around the world and now this famous UK institution has some useful apps for learning English. There are a number of ESL apps on the British Council website that offer podcasts, videos, a pronunciation chart, games for kids and more. One of the best apps is LearnEnglish Grammar – a dedicated application with separate UK and US versions to help improve your grammar from beginner up to advanced level. Every difficulty level consists of 12 grammar sections, each containing 20 tasks. There are also clues to help if you are struggling to answer any tricky grammar questions.
Englishly
This ESL app is currently only available for Android and has one simple purpose – to help users practise their English pronunciation. The app has over 900 phrases across a range of everyday conversation topics. Users can listen to a voice demonstration and then repeat and record the phrase. Englishly then rates the user’s pronunciation on a 5-star scale. You can also store your voice recordings and compare your progress over time. The voice recognition is not perfect, but this English app provides a fun way of practising your pronunciation skills on the move.
Android
Google Translate app
This app has been around for a while, but it’s the latest functionality that makes it exciting. Google have now added a conversation mode, which allows you to interact via your mobile device with another person who does not speak your language. This two-way conversation mode supports 40 languages, including English. The second new mode to be added is camera translation, which allows you to translate signs and other written text just by pointing your phone in the right direction. As in earlier versions, the app still provides text translation in 90 languages and offers downloadable travel packs that can be used offline.
iOS / Android
Busuu
This ESL app for learning English and other languages links users up via online accounts, which can also be accessed via the company’s main website. Busuu is the largest social network for learning languages online and caters for free and paying learners from beginner to upper-intermediate level. The free version gives you access to just 20 units, but there are 150 available to paid users. These units contain speaking tasks, short written assignments and multiple-choice questions. Users of the Busuu social network can help one another – playing the role of both teacher and student. They can also interact with each other using a webcam, microphone and live chatbox. One advantage of Busuu is that it can give you better access to native English speakers, who may be on the network learning your language.
iOS / Android
Lingua.ly
Reading is a great way of improving your English vocabulary and this ESL app is designed to select the right content for you. Lingua.ly tries to recommend real native English texts from the internet based on your interests and the results of vocabulary tests done via the app. You can click on new words in the texts and articles you read to add them to your personal dictionary and learn later. As the content is selected individually, based on its relevance to your level of English and personal interests, motivation should never be an issue. This free app also allows you to create your own flashcards with audio/images and learn new vocabulary through a variety of games.
iOS / Android
Urban Dictionary
This massive online slang dictionary provides more advanced learners with insights into the real English being used on the streets of Britain and the USA today. With over 7 million definitions and more than 2,000 new entries added daily by UD’s growing online community, this app really offers everything you need to know about modern English slang. Note that some content may only be suitable for adults.
A common complaint from overseas is that Brits are incapable of expressing their feelings directly, particularly when those feelings are negative or may cause offence. Moreover, it often seems that polite phrases in English are used by Brits to convey hidden meanings, which are only intelligible to their compatriots.
In a recent BBC World Service podcast German comedian Henning Weyn explored the challenging aspects of English being the world’s Lingua Franca, focusing primarily on how many problems arise due to foreigners misinterpreting the polite words used by Brits, both in personal and business situations. Many of the people interviewed, including a native speaker from the US, stated that their confusing interactions with British people led them to doubt their proficiency in the English language!
Indeed, this insistence upon hiding negative feelings or criticism behind seemingly positive polite expressions has caused such difficulties abroad that an anonymous author’s guide to deciphering Brit-speak gained considerable internet popularity. Most of the expressions can be found in everyday conversation in Britain and as such may prove very useful.
What the British say
What the British mean
What others understand
I hear what you say
I disagree and do not want to discuss it further
He accepts my point of view
With the greatest respect…
You are an idiot
He is listening to me
That’s not bad
That’s good
That’s poor
That is a very brave proposal
You are insane
He thinks I have courage
Quite good
A bit disappointing
Quite good
I would suggest…
Do it or be prepared toJustify yourself
Think about the idea, but do what you like
Oh, incidentally/ by the way
The primary purpose of our discussion is
That is not very important
I was a bit disappointed that
I am annoyed that
It doesn’t really matter
Very interesting
That is clearly nonsense
They are impressed
I’ll bear it in mind
I’ve forgotten it already
They will probably do it
I’m sure it’s my fault
It’s your fault
Why do they think it was their fault?
You must come for dinner
It’s not an invitation, I’m just being polite
I will get an invitation soon
I almost agree
I don’t agree at all
He’s not far from agreement
I only have a few minor comments
Please rewrite completely
He has found a few typos
Formal expressions in everyday situations
The indirect approach commonly associated with formal situations is absolutely crucial if you want to be polite in English, regardless of whether you are participating in a business meeting or asking for a refund in a shop. As a general rule, direct requests are a no-no and are seen as rude and demanding, even when they include the ‘magic word’ please; “can you give me a refund?” or “I want a refund” require rephrasing along the lines of: “Would it be possible to get a refund?” or “Could I please have a refund?’ As the examples suggest, one of the simplest ways of ensuring that you sound more polite when making requests is to use modal verbs. Remember that politeness not only means being viewed more favourably by others, it also increases the likelihood of getting the results you desire.
Avoiding Confrontation
From apologising to someone whose clumsiness has left you with coffee all over your best suit to thanking the person who has given you a terrible haircut or a parking ticket – all of the weird and wonderful features of British politeness have been documented in this interesting Buzzfeed post entitled ‘British Problems’.
A common theme of ‘British Problems’ is the desire to avoid conflict at all costs, but in certain situations confrontation is unavoidable. The points below should provide some guidance on how to be polite in English when expressing negative feelings.
It is widely considered aggressive to “point the finger” at a person you feel is to blame, and a useful way of avoiding this is to “share” the blame or even imply that it is your own fault in order to resolve the situation! “Maybe I misunderstood you” is a polite way of letting somebody know that they either didn’t tell you something or explained it in a confusing way. Similarly, when frustrated by a person’s complete inability to understand you, it is best to say “perhaps I’m not making myself clear.”
If you must be negative, you can still be polite by softening statements like “I don’t like it”. To do this, you break them down with little additional words, so “I don’t like it” becomes “I don’t really like it, I’m afraid”.
Greetings in Modern Britain
Despite its enduring popularity in language courses, where it is taught as one of the most polite expressions in English, the greeting “How do you do.” has experienced a drastic decline in use amongst the British population, as the writer of this Guardian article examines. This is in part due to it being perceived as an outdated and excessively formal expression. Social anthropologist Kate Fox has lamented this trend, arguing that: “We should be mounting a campaign for its revival, because since “How do you do?” declined as a greeting we haven’t known what to say”.
It is true that there is no longer one standard way of greeting somebody and this can cause considerable anxiety amongst non-Brits about how best to respond. It is common to hear British people greet each other with far less formal expressions such as “How’s it going?” or simply “Alright?”.
In other countries to be asked how one is prompts a truthful, often detailed, answer. In Britain, it is expected that the person asked will respond with “Fine thanks, and you?” rather than detail their latest highs and lows. This is especially true when one encounters a casual acquaintance in a public place.
It’s not you, it’s me!
Brits are famous for asking “pardon?” instead of the direct “what?” (favoured by other parts of the English speaking world). British children often find themselves reprimanded for impoliteness if they do use “what?” when unable to understand something that is said to them. However, as many visitors to the country have observed with great amusement, the word “sorry” is now overused in so many situations that many Brits no longer have a need for “pardon?”.
This peculiar feature of British politeness has become so pronounced that even Brits themselves have become aware of it, and yet they are still unable to break the habit. A 2007 survey concluded that the average Brit apologises an incredible 1.9 million times in their lifetime. The phenomenon is examined in great detail in this article from the BBC website with readers providing their own interesting observations in the comments section.
Saying “sorry!” has been described as “a national tic”, something that people instinctively blurt out even when they are the victim of someone else’s mistake. In the Channel 4 television programme An Immigrants Guide to Britain, the full extent of the nation’s obsession with apologising was exposed, with actors causing considerable inconvenience to the British public. The reaction of the victims in each and every case was to say sorry to the unapologetic culprits!
However ridiculous Brits might appear, the fact remains that “sorry” is one of the politest words in the English language and it is also incredibly versatile; one can use this simple word to interrupt, express lack of understanding, apologise and disagree.
• Why learn English at home? • Make a plan for your sofa-based studies! • Learn real English with films and videos • Improve your listening skills with audio • Hit the books! • Learn vocabulary in your pyjamas • Improve your spoken English at home • Enhance your writing skills • Stay motivated with your English
Why learn English at home?
If you want to improve your English quickly, you need to make time to study regularly and have more contact with the language. For most learners, this is a problem because work, family and social commitments often get in the way. Missed classes or study sessions lead to slower progress, which then affects your motivation and progress. Choosing to learn English at home can help create extra space for your skills to develop naturally.
3 good reasons to learn English at home:
TIME – You can save time because you do not need to travel 30-60 minutes to and from a school. This time can then be used to improve your English.
ACCESS – Everything you need is at your finger tips! You can create your own “English library” of online and paper-based study resources to use whenever you have 30-60 minutes free. This helps you make the best use of your time. If you would like a teacher, you can easily find one online.
CONVENIENCE – You can relax in the comfort of your own home and use more passive methods of learning, such as listening to English music or watching television. Using English at home is proven to help you gain fluency faster.
Make a plan for your sofa-based studies!
One of the main advantages of self-studying at home is that you have full control over how you learn English. You do not need to compromise or consider the needs of other learners. This freedom gives you the chance to study using materials and methods that are of most interest and relevance to you. Follow these tips to create the perfect English study zone at home:
Kick back and keep it cosy! Put on some comfortable clothes and reserve a quiet corner of your home where you will not be disturbed. This might be a desk by a window, a comfy armchair or your sofa.
Make a simple plan and study timetable To ensure you make good progress and schedule regular slots for your English each week, it is important that you set yourself some clear goals and realistic timescales. Think about the following:
On which days do you have more time to study?
Which days are really busy and best avoided altogether?
What are your weaker skills and study goals for the next 3 months?
How can you connect your existing hobbies or interests with English?
Are you happy to just study alone, or would you like to practise with other people too?
Create your own English library Start by looking through the textbooks and other materials that you already have at home. Decide which of these resources you still find useful or interesting and put them in your “English corner”. Now think about what is missing from your library. It is worth having the following paper-based and digital resources in your collection:
Good grammar textbook (e.g. English Grammar in Use)
General English textbook (e.g. Face2Face)
Selection of reading material (books, magazines, printed newspaper articles, etc.)
Bilingual and English-to-English dictionaries
Reference books on: phrasal verbs, idioms and other more advanced vocabulary
Online resources: top ESL websites, YouTube channels, Facebook groups, music, films, audiobooks, podcasts, e-books and PDFs
Connect with the culture behind the language! If you take an active interest in the culture of the UK or USA, then learning English will be a more rewarding experience. Language and culture are closely connected, so it is often hard to understand one without the other.
Learn real English with films and videos
How many hours a week do you spend watching TV at home? Could some of this time be used to watch programmes, films or video clips in English? This can be a great way of increasing your contact time with the language and can also help you understand more about British or American culture.
A Cisco study has predicted that by 2019 video streaming will account for 80% of global internet usage. That is a lot of Friends episodes! Are you making full use of video streaming to improve your English?
If you do not have cable TV in English, then you can still watch a wide variety of films, videos and live programmes for free via the internet. All you have to do is search! Try these tips to improve how you learn English through films and video resources:
Watch original films with English subtitles When you first start watching films in English, it is a good idea to choose some titles that you have already seen in your own language. If you are familiar with the storyline, then you can focus 100% on understanding the English. Search on a website like IMDB.com for popular films you might like, buy the DVD locally, or do a Google search for: “watch *title* movie online free”. If you are learning British English, then check out this list of the 100 best UK films.
Keep up with the latest news Watching TV news in English can be difficult at first because newsreaders speak very quickly. However, if you watch news broadcasts for 10-15 minutes each day, then you will soon improve your vocabulary and listening skills. Newsreaders often repeat the same words and phrases, so this helps you remember new vocabulary and understand future stories better. Freeintertv.com allows you to watch live streams from popular English language news channels. Use the search option to find UK or US news channels and watch them free at home. BBC News is great if you are learning British English.
Put the telly on! Watching television can be a great way of improving your fluency in English. TV programmes give you access to modern British or American English as it is used today. This means you can learn real native English at home without getting off the sofa! TVplayer.com lets you watch live streams of English channels from anywhere in the world. Try different types of programmes and pay attention to the accents and slang used. Soap operas and TV series can be especially good for learning how natives really communicate in English.
Check out some channels and vlogs on Youtube Whether you like watching cats playing keyboards, scary Russian driving or fail videos, YouTube has something for you! Short videos are easier to watch than TV programmes and films so this format is great for learning English. Try this top-10 list of the best ESL channels on YouTube and subscribe to the ones you like best.
Check out this example of an American vlog about a guy’s “colourful life” in New York. He has around 8 million subscribers on YouTube, which shows how popular vlogging has now become! Bonus tip: Click the CC button to watch with English subtitles.
Improve your listening skills with audio
Fluency in English often comes first through being a good listener. Developing your listening skills helps your understand others, build vocabulary and learn grammatical constructions. In many situations, you will learn more by listening than you will by speaking! Here are some tips to help you improve your listening skills at home:
Learn English the funky way with your favourite music! If you are a music lover, then you must have some great English language albums in your collection! Take your favourite songs, translate them and learn any new vocabulary or slang expressions. Print out some lyrics and sing or play along on guitar. Karaoke can be a lot of fun too when you get together with some English speaking friends! If you like this tip, check out this full guide to learning English with music!
Radio Ga Ga Remember the classic song by Queen? Radio may seem a bit old-fashioned these days, but it can still be a fantastic way of practising your listening skills. The genre you need is called “talk radio”. Try a Google search for “listen to radio online” and explore some websites like Internetradiouk.com or BBC World Service. Look for programmes about topics that you find interesting. Schedule in 15 minutes of radio each day and note down new vocabulary. This can be done at home over breakfast or in the evening when the kids have gone to bed!
Download some podcasts Podcasts offer a similar experience to talk radio, but are sometimes created especially for ESL learners. You can stream podcasts live or download them to listen to at a more convenient time. It is a good idea to build up a collection of your favourite podcasts by topic. You can then listen to the same recordings several times over a few weeks in order to remember more of the vocabulary used. To start with, check out the British Council’s series of 50 podcasts on everyday English topics and The English We Speak series by the BBC.
Discover audiobooks online If you find it difficult to read full books in English, then an audiobook could be right for you! Do a Google search for “free audiobooks online” to find downloadable ebooks and audio versions. Most of these will be amateur recordings by volunteers, but the quality is often very good. If possible, get a printed version of the book so you can use it to follow the audio and make notes with a pencil. ESL-bits.net has a collection of free read-on-screen audiobooks with two reading speed options. Click on the title of interest, select “Go to book index”, and then choose the chapter number to start reading. The audio versions are at the top of the page.
Hit the books!
Having a personal library of English books at home is a big advantage. However, you should be selective with the books you include in your collection. Boring textbooks, literature and magazines can really hurt your motivation to study. Remember, this is YOUR library and nothing gets in unless you say so!
Get into grammar! If you want to speak English correctly, then you need to make some time to study the grammar of the language. Choose a well-known textbook, like Raymond Murphy’s English Grammar in Use, and aim to complete at least 2 units each week. As a grammar reference book, Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage is a good addition to your ESL library.
Make use of textbooks Using a textbook can help you add more structure to your self-study programme. This is especially important if you are learning English at home on your own. Series like Face2face, English File and Professional English in Use cover a range of topics and provide practice in “the four skills”. It is a good idea to use a textbook, but only as one part of your wider study plan.
Be a bookworm! Many ESL learners ignore the importance of reading. This is a mistake because reading simple books and novels in English can really help to improve your understanding of vocabulary, grammar and culture. Make sure you include some good reading books in your personal library at home. If it is difficult to find printed books locally, then try online. English-E-Reader.net has a collection of over 250 free ebooks in English. Use the search options to find suitable books by level, author and genre. You can also choose between British or American books, and some even have audio versions to improve your listening skills!
Read more online This can be done on your phone, tablet or computer. Decide what types of texts you want to read and choose some topics that really interest you. For example, if you love fashion and lifestyle topics, you could read a British magazine like Red Online. If you are interested in current affairs, you might prefer to read some articles from the BBC News website. If you are a more advanced learner, broadsheet newspapers like The Guardian could be a better choice to test your skills.
Use Flipboard.com (or download the app) to create your own digital magazine! You choose your topics of interest and fresh articles are added to your news feed every day. You can read online or offline via your computer and mobile devices. Try it!
Learn vocabulary in your pyjamas
When do you feel most comfortable and relaxed? At home in your pyjamas, right? Make yourself a nice cup of tea, find your favourite spot on the sofa and use a bit of downtime to improve your vocabulary skills. A few minutes a day is enough to make good progress over time!
Label up your house! Most people are visual learners and remember vocabulary better when they repeated see the same words written down. Buy some sticky notes and brightly coloured pens. At lower levels, you can label objects in English to learn basic vocabulary. At higher levels, you can make 10-item lists of new vocabulary by topic and put these up on the wall or door of a room where you spend a lot of time. Ask a friend or relative to give you a short vocabulary test at the end of each week.
Get vocabulary lists from ESL websites It is best to learn new vocabulary “thematically” – or by topic. Creating word lists yourself takes time and vocabulary builders (textbooks) may include topics that you do not need. You can save time by getting readymade vocabulary lists from websites like Manythings.org. For example, here is a large collection of word lists by topic. You can view their other vocabulary collections by using the search option at the top of the webpage.
Learn English the smart way with mobile apps Some of the best ESL apps focus on helping you to improve your vocabulary. For example, Wordsteps allows you to create your own word lists or copy existing lists from other users. To improve your pronunciation, you can read phonetic transcriptions and listen to audio recordings of words. This app also has an option that allows you to schedule regular tests. To discover more great mobile tools, check out this top-10 list of ESL apps!
Organise vocabulary tests and competitions One of the biggest problems when learning vocabulary is that the end is never in sight! If you do not use new words, then you forget them. If you do not test yourself, then you do not see any progress. Try to organise vocabulary tests or competitions with other ESL learners each week and keep score. Perhaps think of a small prize for the winner after the first 3 months! Having a “study buddy” and adding an element of competition to your studies can really help with motivation and progress.
Improve your spoken English at home
One problem with self-study is that it can limit your opportunities to speak English regularly with others. If you want to improve your spoken fluency, you need to interact in the language as much as possible. Read the following tips to find out how you can get all the speaking practice you need without leaving the house!
Try Skype lessons with a native English teacher Most ESL learners take Skype lessons in order to improve their spoken English with a native tutor. This is like having a personal trainer who is always there to help you make progress, correct your mistakes, and motivate you. Compared with face-to-face tuition, the internet can offer you a wider choice of native tutors at more affordable prices. You can also study from home at any convenient time 24/7. If you would like to try Skype English lessons, you can request a trial here.
By the year 2019, it is predicted that approximately 50% of all classes worldwide will be conducted via the internet. Why not try an online course to improve your English and see if it works for you?
Get face-to-face classes at home If you prefer a more traditional approach, or do not require a native speaker, then a local face-to-face teacher may be right for you. Tutors usually charge a little extra for lessons at home, but you will save a lot of time on travel.
Start your own “English club”! Find some friends or colleagues who are also studying English. Agree to meet at your place once a week to practise your speaking and listening skills. If possible, invite at least one native speaker. You can organise a regular weekly discussion club with occasional social events, like: Bonfire Night, Saint Patrick’s Day, Saint George’s Day, Halloween, etc. This is great for improving your English and is also a lot of fun!
Connect with English speakers on Facebook Facebook is still the world’s most popular social network and you can use it to improve your spoken English online. Start by doing a group search for “English speaking group”. Explore some groups and see what they are offering before you click to join. Speaking practice groups on Facebook are usually like an open forum where users can give their Skype IDs or arrange Google Hangouts with other members. 99% of these exchanges will be with non-natives, but this method of study is free and can help you get regular speaking practice at home.
Game on! Connecting English with your existing hobbies is a powerful way of learning the language. If you enjoy online gaming, then buy a headset and look for opportunities to play your favourite computer games with native English speakers. Role-play (RPG) or fantasy games and those involving team missions are best because they require more discussion of tactics between players – and this is done in English!
Invite English speaking guests to stay If you have a spare room in your home, then you may want to consider using it to host a British or American guest. Student exchange visits are often organised through schools and universities. You can apply to be added to their list of “host families”. Alternatively, you can register on a website like Couchsurfing.com and provide occasional free accommodation to visiting tourists in exchange for some English speaking practice.
Play board games in English This is a fun, sociable way to improve your spoken English! Invite 3-4 friends to your place and play a classic board game in English for a couple of hours. You can buy these games from websites like Amazon.com or a similar online store in your country. Here are some good ones to look out for: Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Guess Who?, Monopoly, etc.
Mirror, mirror on the wall – who speaks English best of all? You do! Even if you are alone, you can still practise your English speaking skills. Try some pronunciation drills – for example, these exercises with tongue twisters. You can also read along to audiobooks, copy film dialogues or sing your favourite English songs. Making short presentations and then reading them aloud can also be a useful exercise. You can record yourself doing the above activities and then listen for mistakes in your pronunciation and grammar.
Enhance your writing skills
Many ESL learners focus more attention on speaking, listening and reading than they do on writing. However, you should not ignore the importance of this skill. A lot of communication in English is still done in writing – emails, formal letters, reports, SMS, instant messaging, etc. Here are a few tips to help you develop your written English at home:
Find a penpal This tip may sound like it is from the 1990s, but there are still thousands of people using penpal websites to make friends internationally! It may also be easier to find a native speaker via a penpal site than via a Facebook chat group. Do a Google search for “Penpals” and explore some websites like Penpalworld.com. Create your profile and remember to include all your hobbies and interests. Look for native speakers by country, age and interests. Send an intro email to a small number of potential penfriends and then wait for a reply. After the first few emails, you can ask your penpal to help correct your English and provide advice on new expressions to use!
Start your own blog! If you love writing, then why not create your own blog in English? Join a free blogging community (e.g. LiveJournal or Blogger) to connect with other writers across the world. You can write about anything you like, but the main idea is to pen all of your content in English. Your readers will tell you where you have made mistakes in your writing so you can correct this and improve your skills.
Join some internet forums This is another old format that has now mostly been replaced by social media. However, some forums are still very much alive and kicking! You can use them to practise your written English for free and get advice from native members who are loyal to the forums. This Wordreference.com forum contains posts from the past 10 years, but it also has users who are active right now. Members post questions about the English language and others help them with advice and examples. Try using a forum like this or do a Google search for “*subject of interest* + forum” to find alternatives.
Stay motivated with your English
Motivation can be a problem when you are learning English at home. That is why it is important to follow a clear plan, involve others in your studies (tutor, friends, family), and measure your progress. The following tips and ideas will help you stay motivated for longer:
Prepare for an exam like IELTS This tip may not be for everyone, but the idea is simple – an exam is a very clear target. Some learners choose to take exams just because they want to achieve a visible result. This can give your studies a more specific focus and timescale. Exams like IELTS can also be useful if you ever need to prove your level of English for work or education abroad.
Become a teacher yourself! You do not have to be an advanced speaker to help others learn English! If your friends or relatives need a hand with some school homework or a work email, offer to help them. One way to understand English better is to teach it to others. If you have kids, why not introduce them to English at an early age by reading them bedtime stories and singing simple songs together? When you make a positive difference to other people’s lives, you will feel better about your English too.
Plan a holiday to the UK Give yourself some added motivation by planning a trip to the UK. Even if your holiday is not for a year or two, the best time to prepare for it is now! Work out a route, read about cities and sights, and find out what cultural events are on. All the information you need is on the Visit Britain website. Think of your holiday as a reward – first you need to work hard on your English!
Reward your own progress Each time you achieve a small goal or milestone with your English, give yourself a reward. You scored 20/20 on your vocabulary test – that deserves some popcorn and a film! Your boss praised you for an English presentation at work – join your friends at a nice restaurant! This approach helps you feel that you are making real progress and that your hard work has been rewarded.
* QUIZ: Test your knowledge of phrasal verbs with ‘put’!
21 phrasal verbs with ‘put’
PUT ACROSS
a) Give opinion clearly, explain an idea well, describe articulately ‘I thought Emily put her views on politics across really well during the discussion.’
b) Speak and express yourself clearly, make a positive impression ‘When David spoke in front of the class, he put himself across really well.’
PUT ASIDE
a) Keep or save something for later ‘I always put aside my best suit for special occasions.’ ‘You really should put some money aside for your retirement!’ ‘Hardworking parents still need to put time aside for their children.’
b) Not allow yourself to be negatively affected by something, ignore temporarily ‘Mike and his girlfriend were able to put aside their differences because they loved each other.’ ‘Jim has put his problems aside and is now getting on with his life.’
PUT AWAY
a) Return something to its usual place ‘Arthur put away his car keys and his wallet.’ ‘Tell the kids to put their toys away before bedtime!’
b) Send to prison or a mental hospital ‘If you commit a serious crime and get caught, you could be put away for life!’ ‘That woman’s crazy! They should put her away.’
c) Save (up) money ‘You should consider putting some money away for your grandchildren each month.’
d) Consume food or drink quickly or in large quantities (informal) ‘I went to the pub with Emily last night. That girl can really put her beer away!’
e) Score a goal (informal) ‘Ronaldo skinned the keeper and put it away in the 91st minute! What a goal!’
PUT BACK
a) Postpone, delay, schedule for a later date ‘Tell John that the meeting has been put back until next week.’
b) Return something to its original location ‘When I finished reading, I put the book back (in the drawer).’
c) Change a clock/watch to an earlier time ‘When do we put the clocks back? I know it’s sometime in October.’
d) Delay or hold up progress ‘The economic crisis in Europe has put back production in several key industries.’
PUT BY
Save (up) money ‘I try to put a fiver (£5) by each week to give to charity.’
In English, there are often several ways of saying the same thing. For example, ‘put by’, ‘put away’ and ‘put aside’ can all be used to describe the process of saving money to spend later. Another example of this is ‘put down’, which can mean the same as ‘take down’ and ‘write down’ (record in writing).
PUT DOWN
a) Insult, humiliate, criticise ‘As a child, Jennifer never liked her aunt because she always put her down.’ ‘I wish you’d stop putting yourself down. You can do this job standing on your head!’
b) Kill an animal or pet because it is old or ill ‘The poor dog had to be put down because it couldn’t walk anymore.’
c)Suppress, stop with force ‘Armed police have put down another riot in the city of Cairo.’
d) Write down, make a note of ‘Can you speak a bit slower, please? I’m struggling to put all this down!’ (Also: take down) ‘Let’s put some ideas down on paper before we start the meeting.’
e)Leave a deposit, make a down payment ‘Rob and Lucy have put down £30,000 on a house near their son’s school.’
f) Put a baby to bed ‘Little Alfie has kept me awake all this week! Can you put him down tonight?’
NOTE: When we say ‘put down’ about a baby, it does not mean we are going to kill an annoying child! Meanings b) and f) above are very different! Phrasal verbs often have multiple meanings so you must pay attention to the context in order to understand them correctly.
PUT DOWN FOR
Book place as, sign up as, list as ‘Shall I put you down for swimming classes on a Monday, or would you prefer gymnastics?’ ‘I’m happy to donate to your charity. Please, put me down for £10.’ (Record pledge)
PUT DOWN TO
Be due to, be the reason for, attribute to ‘John’s made a few mistakes, but I think we can put that down to inexperience.’
PUT FORWARD
a) Suggest an idea, opinion or candidate ‘At the open day, Hannah put forward her opinions on veganism.’ ‘I’d like to put Marie Walker forward as the new chairwoman for our committee.’
b) Change the time on a clock to a later time ‘The school children put the clock forward so the lesson would finish earlier.’
c) Schedule to an earlier time ‘Our annual conference has been brought forward by a week.’ ‘If you bring the deadline forward, then we are not going to complete the project on time!’
PUT IN
a) Invest time or effort ‘The amount of money you make depends on the work you put in.’ ‘I had to put in an extra 3 hours today to cover for an absent colleague.’
b) Install ‘Jim and Henrietta are having their new kitchen put in next week.’ ‘What’s going on with all the roadwork? Are they putting in a new bus lane?’
c) Formally submit (request, claim, proposal, etc.) ‘Our charity has put in a grant application for additional laptops and printers.’
d) Interrupt ‘“Why don’t we just postpone the project?” she loudly put in.’
Phrasal verbs are not always logical! For example, you can ‘put on’ a shirt, but you cannot ‘put off’ a shirt. Instead, we say ‘take off’. You cannot say ‘take on’ to mean ‘get dressed’ because this means ‘to hire’! It is always best to learn phrasal verbs with several examples in context.
e) Invest, contribute money ‘When the business started, each of the investors each put in £20,000.’
f) Give position or place to someone ‘They had to put in a new Head Teacher because the school was failing to meet its targets.’ ‘Local voters put the Democrats in because they were angry with the ruling party.’ (Elected)
g) Stop at a port (about a ship) ‘The tall ships put in at Cape Town on their 1000 mile voyage.’
PUT IN FOR
Make formal request ‘After a failed office romance, Mary put in for a transfer to a different company branch.’ ‘Have you put in for your provisional driving licence yet?’
PUT OFF
a) Delay, postpone ‘When are you going to learn to drive? You can’t keep putting it off forever!’
b) Make someone feel dislike for, discourage someone from doing something ‘Steve had dirty shoes on the date. That really put me off (him)!’ ‘I would’ve gone into medicine, but was put off by the long hours.’
c) Distract ‘I am trying to concentrate, but you’re putting me off! Can you please keep the noise down?’
d) Avoid through postponement ‘I keep putting my mum off, but she really wants you to come round for dinner!’
PUT ON
a) Present, host, organise something ‘The Globe Theatre in London puts on a lot of fantastic plays.’ ‘Our local pub is putting on a gig for charity next month.’ (Concert) ‘There are lots of parents joining the school trip so we’ll have to put on extra minibuses.’
b) Gain weight ‘David’s put on a few pounds over Christmas, hasn’t he?’ ‘I’ve put a bit on since I quit the gym. I really need to do more exercise!’
c) Get dressed, start wearing ‘He put on his coat and left the house.’
d) Pretend, fake, recreate something ‘Olivia put on an American accent because she thought it made her sound cool.’
e) Apply, spread on surface ‘Hotdogs are really tasty if you put some mustard on (them).’ ‘My girlfriend always puts makeup on before we go out.’
f) Turn on, cause device to start working, play ‘Do you mind if I put the TV on? ‘Put the kettle on and we’ll have a nice cup of tea!’ ‘I’ve just bought this new CD. Can I put it on?’ ‘If I’m home late, can you put the dinner on?’ (Start cooking with a cooker/oven)
g) Place a bet ‘Geoff put £10 on Arsenal to win the cup final.’
h) Call to the phone ‘Jessica’s just upstairs. Hang on a minute and I’ll put her on!’
i) Add, apply to ‘Farmers are asking supermarkets to put 10p on a litre of milk to help cover production costs.’ ‘These days, parents put too much pressure on their kids to perform well at school.’
j) Give responsibility for ‘Junior doctors are often put on night shifts because older members of staff have families.’
k) Prescribe treatment, medicine ‘The doctor has put me on some stronger painkillers.’
PUT OUT
a) Defeat in a sporting competition ‘Everybody laughed when Iceland put England out of the Euro’s.’
b) Hurt or injure (usually about the back or joints) ‘John’s put his shoulder out playing tennis so he won’t be joining us for our match.’
c) Have sexual relations with someone (American slang) ‘I heard Jenny puts out on the first date!’
Bear in mind that phrasal verbs can have unexpected slang meanings! ‘Put out’ is one example of this, but there are many others used in everyday English. For instance, ‘make out’ (USA) and ‘get off’ (UK) both meaning ‘to kiss’.
d) Stop from burning, extinguish ‘The bouncer put his cigarette out and went back inside the night club.’ ‘Put out that fire before anyone sees we’re camping here!’ ‘I’m going to bed now. Please, put the lights out when you come up.’
e) Place outside, give away for collection ‘I put the bin out early every Thursday morning.’ (For rubbish collection) ‘In winter, we like to put some bread out for the birds in the garden.’ ‘We have to put the cat out at night so it doesn’t scratch the furniture.’ ‘Can you put the washing out when it stops raining?’ (Hang on the washing line to dry)
f) Inconvenience, create extra work for ‘I can easily stay at a hotel. Please don’t put yourself out just because I’m coming to visit!’
g) Broadcast, publish, produce and make public, introduce to market ‘When is your band putting out its first album?’ ‘Hollywood puts out loads of films that never get shown at the cinema.’ ‘Apple puts out a new iPhone once a year.’ ‘The police have put out an official statement following the bank robbery.’
h) Move hand/arm/leg away from your body ‘If you want to stop a bus in the UK, you need to put your arm out.’ (Give arm signal)
PUT OVER
Express, convey information ‘During the presentation, I thought June put her main point over very clearly.’
PUT THROUGH
a) Connect someone by phone ‘Please hold while I put you through to our sales team.’
b) Make someone do something difficult ‘I’ve put myself through a tough week of training in preparation for the marathon.’
c) Test or trial something ‘The new drug was put through several trials before it was officially accepted.’ ‘Our boss puts all new employees through a series of cognitive tests.’
d) Pay for someone’s education ‘Josh’s dad put him through’
e) Ensure something is submitted, approved or implemented ‘With this substantial majority, the ruling party can put through its new measures on housing.’ ‘The local council has put through plans to redevelop the city centre.’ ‘Has your application been put through yet, or are you still waiting to hear back from them?’
PUT TOGETHER
a) Create a group of people or things ‘Our company has put together a football team, but it’s not very good!’ ‘The think tank has put a group of experts together to tackle the research project.’
b) Assemble, build from separate parts ‘The IKEA wardrobe took 4 hours to put together!’ ‘My son has taken the computer apart and now I don’t know how to put it back together!’
c) Compile, organise, create from separate items ‘We’ve put together a set of simple rules to help staff keep the office tidy.’ ‘I’ve put this CD together for you. It has all my favourite 80s tracks!’ ‘The art students put the exhibition together at short notice.’
PUT TOWARDS
Use an amount of money to cover part of the cost of something ‘If you give Rob some money for his birthday, he’ll put it towards a new mountain bike.’
PUT UP
a) Build or erect ‘We’re planning to put up a new shed at the bottom of our garden.’ ‘They’re putting up a primary school on the site of the old cinema.’ ‘Let’s put the tent up now because it’ll be dark soon.’
b) Raise the price or value of something ‘Supermarkets have put their prices up’ ‘The Bank of England has decided to put up interest rates.’
c) Allow someone to stay for a short time ‘I had nowhere to stay, so my friends agreed to put me up for a couple of nights.’
d) Fix or hang on a wall or vertical surface ‘Where do you think we should put this picture up?’ ‘Do you mind if I put up some posters in the window of your cafe?’ ‘Can you help me to put up some shelves in the garage?’
e) Provide a large sum of money for something ‘An anonymous businessman has put up £10,000 to help rebuild the church roof.’
f) Raise something so it is ready for use ‘It’s raining! Put your umbrella up!’ ‘If it’s windy and you’re cold, why don’t you put your hood up?’
g) Suggest someone as a candidate ‘The Democrats have chosen not to put up a candidate in this constituency.’
h) Raise hand ‘If you know the answer, please put up your hand.’
i) Make an effort to achieve or prevent something ‘The rebels put up a spirited fight, but were eventually overcome by government forces.’
PUT UP TO
a) Encourage someone to do something bad ‘Mike stole some sweets because his girlfriend put him up to it.’
PUT UP WITH
a) Tolerate someone or something unpleasant or annoying ‘Nathan puts up with his little sister even though she can be annoying at times.’ ‘I know you don’t like your new school, but you’ll just have to put up with it for now.’
QUIZ: Test your knowledge of phrasal verbs with ‘put’!
TASK A
Choose the appropriate phrasal verb to complete the sentences below:
I don’t know how you put up/put up with/put up to your boss. He’s such a bully!
Our sales are down 10% this year. What would you put this down/put this down to/put this down for?
The financial crisis put the UK economy off/put the UK economy back/put the UK economy down 5 years.
I really don’t want John to come to our wedding. Is there any way we can put him off coming/put him out coming/put him out coming?
I want to put up to/put up/put down some shelves this weekend. Can you give me a hand?
TASK B
Match the phrasal verbs 1-5 with their correct meanings a-e:
• What is the difference between make and do? • 140+ make vs. do collocations • Phrasal verbs with make and do • Practice tips and links to exercises
What is the difference between make and do?
Make or do? – that is the question! These two short words are famous for confusing learners of English. Most errors appear where there are differences in how and when ‘make’ and ‘do’ are used in English vs. your native language. Let’s look at some basic theory to understand the general meaning of ‘make’ vs. ‘do’ in English.
How to use MAKE
I make – He/She makes – We/They make I will make – I am making – I made – I have made
The verb make is used when talking about creation or production in a process. In other words, it is used to refer to the result of an action. For example: ‘Make a cup of tea’, ‘Make plans for the future’ or ‘Make a model boat out of wood’.
Made can be used to indicate the material of a product. For example, we can say that a spoon is ‘made of steel’. In this case, we would say made, as in the past tense of make. The creation has already taken place and now the spoon is made of steel.
How to use DO
I do – She/He does – They/We do I will do – I am doing – I did – I have done
The verb ‘do’ is used when we talk about tasks, duties, obligations and routine work. It refers to the process of carrying out these actions. This verb is similar to the formal words perform or execute (as in: execute a command). For example: ‘I did my homework yesterday evening.’ (completed task).
Another use of the verb do is to replace a different verb in the context of a clear or straightforward result. For example: ‘Do the dishes’ (vs. wash the dishes). ‘Do my hair’ means cut, dye, style or perform another similar action on my hair. The word ‘do’ can also be used for recreational and individual sports, such as martial arts. For example: ‘Do karate twice a week’ (take part in this sporting activity, perhaps by attending a class).
Native speakers often use ‘do’ in the way described above. If you want your English to sound more natural, then you should learn how to use ‘do’ as a substitute for other verbs. Read on to find more examples of this!
Remember that ‘do’ can be used as an auxiliary verb in questions and for added emphasis. In these contexts, it is not used to mean ‘performing an action’.
Do in questions: In ‘Do you like music?’ the word ‘do’ is just used to indicate a question. ‘You like music.’ would be a fact. Learners often make the mistake of leaving out the ‘do’ in English questions because in their own language rising intonation is enough. Only in informal English is this possible where the context is 100% clear. For example, just: ‘Coffee?’ (when you are about to pour a cup and you are asking for your friend’s permission).
Do for emphasis: In ‘Lucy thinks I don’t love her, but I do. I really do!’ the use of ‘do’ shows the contradiction between what Lucy thinks and what the speaker feels. In summary, ‘do’ usually refers to the process and ‘make’ refers to the result or creative aspect of the process. For example, you would do some cooking (process), but you would make dinner (result).
140+ Collocations with make or do
Collocations with MAKE
COMMUNICATION
Make a demand (= Ask for something in an authoritative manner) ‘Several bank staff are being held hostage and the robbers are now making demands.’
Make an objection (= Complain or dispute something) ‘If anyone would like to make an objection, please raise your hand now.’
Make a complaint (= State unhappiness) ‘The angry customer made a complaint to the company’s head office.’
Make a phone call (= Call someone on the phone) ‘I need to make a quick phone call. Can I use your landline?’
Make enquiries (= Ask about a subject, request information) ‘I’m thinking about joining a local company, but I still need to make some enquiries.’
Make an offer (= Suggest, put forward a proposal) I was going to put my house on the market, but then a friend made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.’
Make an agreement (= Reach consensus, create legislation) ‘Politicians at the summit are eager to make an agreement on climate change.’
Make a comment (= Briefly give your opinion) ‘I would like to make a comment on the issue of social housing.’
Make a remark (= Comment in a spontaneous manner) ‘The journalist made a sarcastic remark about the politician’s personal fortune.’
In many cases, the use of ‘make’ in “communicative collocations” creates a higher level of formality. In everyday conversation, it is more common to use the noun as a verb in place of the formal collocation. For example, instead of ‘make an agreement’ or ‘make a comment’, you can just say ‘(to) agree on’ or ‘(to) comment on’.
Make a speech (= Speak publicly on a topic) ‘At British weddings, it is customary for the father of the bride to make a speech.’
Make a fuss (= Complain, worry unnecessarily, give affectionate attention) ‘I wish my husband wouldn’t make such a fuss every time I go out with my friends!’ ‘My grandma always made a fuss of us as children.’ (Positive – loved and spoiled them)
Make an excuse (= Justify an action) ‘The boss made an excuse and left the meeting early.’
Make a point (= State an argument, advocate an idea) ‘John made some good points in his presentation, but I didn’t agree with everything he said.’
Make an observation (= Give your view on a topic, state what you have noticed) ‘Following our exam results, the teacher made several observations about our lack of progress!’
Make a suggestion (= Put forward an idea, share an opinion to help others) ‘Could I make a suggestion? Perhaps red curtains would go better with this wallpaper.’
Make conversation (= Talk to others, sometimes about trivial matters) ‘When I asked about his new job, I was just making conversation.’(No real interest)
Make contact (= Find and establish communication) ‘After a 5-year absence, Mary’s brother finally made contact with her via Facebook.’
Make a noise/sound (= Produce a sound) ‘I thought the dishwasher was broken because it was making a strange noise.’
Make an exception (= Agree to break the rules in one instance) ‘We don’t normally allow dogs in here, but I suppose we can make an exception this time.’
Make it clear (= Ensure something is understood by all) ‘I’d like to make it clear that all new staff are expected to attend our weekly meetings.’
FOOD & DRINK
Make a cake (= Bake a cake) ‘My mum makes me a cake for my birthday every year.’
Make spaghetti (= Cook spaghetti, could also mean to make it from raw ingredients) ‘The Italians make the world’s most fantastic fresh spaghetti!’ (Make from scratch) ‘I’m making spaghetti for dinner. Would you like some?’ (Cooking)
Make a cup of tea (= Brew tea, make a cuppa) ‘Work has been an absolute nightmare today! Make me a nice cuppa, would you?’
Make a snack (= Prepare a snack) ‘Dave was supposed to be on a diet, but I found him in the kitchen making a snack!’
Make a meal (= Cook a meal, make breakfast/lunch/dinner) ‘Would you mind making some meals for my granddad while I’m away on holiday?’ ‘I’ll make dinner tonight if you make breakfast tomorrow morning, ok?’
In British English, we say ‘make a meal of (something)’ to mean: do it very badly. For example, ‘I asked John to fix the back door, but he made a complete meal of it!’ – the result might be that now the door is broken or needs to be fixed by a professional.
MONEY & WORK
Make money (= Earn money) ‘I heard that if you start your own business, you can make some serious money!’ ‘There are many ways to make money. Robbing a bank is just one of them!’
Make a bid (= Compete to buy at auction/tender, attempt to get) ‘Our company made a bid on a large commercial property at an auction last week.’ ‘Our charity is in the process of making a bid for additional government grants.’
Make a trade (= Perform stock market operation, exchange) ‘With current stock market volatility, it’s hard to know exactly when to make a trade.’
Make a loss (= Loose money in a business context) ‘If a company makes a loss, it can be in danger of running up debts or going bankrupt.’
Make a profit (= Gain money in a business context) ‘If our firm makes a profit this year, I will get a 10% bonus!’
Make a fortune (= Become rich by earning money) ‘I friend of mine has recently made a fortune in the property business.’
Make an investment (= Put in capital in order to gain profit later) ‘Our company has made several key investments in the Middle East this year.’
Make a living (= Earn enough money to cover expenses) ‘How do British expats make a living in Spain if they don’t speak the language?’
Make a name for yourself (= Form a reputation) ‘Jessica has really made a name for herself. You should see her sales figures this quarter!’
Make a law (= Set a rule, introduce new legislation) ‘The government has made a law to stop people smoking in the workplace.’
Make room/way (= Accommodate, compromise to make something fit) ‘I’m super busy this week! Any chance you could make room for me on the 16th?’ ‘Several older members of staff have been fired to make way for the new recruits.’
Make a payment (= Pay for something) ‘I need to make a payment using a business debit card, but your website isn’t working!’
HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Make (someone) smile/laugh (= Cause to smile or laugh) ‘John’s a funny guy! When we’re down the pub, he always makes me laugh.’
Make (someone) happy/sad/angry (= Cause to feel) ‘The council’s decision to close the library has made local residents really angry.’
Make amends (= Make reparations, rectify a wrongdoing) ‘Do you think convicted murderers can ever make amends for their crimes?’
When learning collocations and phrasal verbs, write down all the possible prepositions and particles they can take. For example, if you know that the correct form is ‘to make amends FOR something’, then you will not make mistakes like ‘amends to’ or ‘amends on’. Errors often appear where the English usage is different from that in your native language.
Make love (= Have sexual intercourse with someone you care about) ‘Police in Thailand have arrested two British tourists for making love on the beach!’
NOTE: It is a common mistake to say ‘make sex’. The correct form is ‘have sex’ or ‘make love’.
Make a move (= Make a pass at someone, also ‘leave’ in slang) ‘Martin really likes Sally, but he’s too shy to make a move (on her).’ ‘It’s already 1am! Shall we make a move?’(Leave, go)
Make a good impression (= Show your best side) ‘When you go on a first date, it’s important to make a good impression (on the person).’
Make a promise (= Swear to do something, give your word) ‘When I was a kid, I made a promise to my mum. Now I still clean my room once a week!’
Make friends (= Become friends with someone) ‘Maggie’s really outgoing so she makes friends easily at home and abroad.’
Make a commitment (= Accept responsibility, form a binding relationship) ‘I really love my boyfriend, but we’ve got no future if he can’t make a commitment.’
NOTE: In the context of relationships, a ‘commitment’ could be any of the following: agreeing to only date one person, moving in with your partner, making long-term plans together, considering marriage.
Make a fool of yourself (= Embarrass yourself by saying or doing the wrong thing) ‘The goalkeeper made a fool of himself by throwing the ball into his own net!’
Make war/peace (= Start/stop conflict) ‘Some countries make war, while others make peace.’
Make an example of (= Punish one person to discourage others from doing the same) ‘Jon was late for school again so the teacher decided to make an example of him.’
Make fun of (= Joke about someone or something) ‘Can you please stop teasing your sister? She doesn’t like it when you make fun of her! ’
Make trouble (= Create a problem for others, antagonise) ‘On match days, football fans are often blamed for making trouble in the city.’
PLANNING & CHOICES
Make the best/most of (= Take advantage, seize the opportunity, tolerate) ‘Ronaldo made the most of the defender’s mistake and rounded the goalkeeper to score.’ ‘Tomorrow’s weather isn’t great for our walk, but we’ll just have to make the most of it.’
A funny example of a confusing expression in English is ‘to make do’? This expression uses ‘make’ and ‘do’! It means: to cope or manage with few resources or to get by with what you have.
Make a decision (= Decide, choose, come to a conclusion) ‘Are you coming with us to Spain? You really need to make a decision by next weekend.’
Make (something) happen (= Cause to happen) ‘The authorities still don’t know what made this terrible tragedy happen.’ ‘We’ve only got 24 hours to complete this project. Let’s make it happen, people!’
Make up your mind (= Decide on something, choose) ‘Michelle is still dating two different guys because she can’t make up her mind!’
Make an exception (= Allow a rule to be broken due to special circumstances) ‘We don’t usually allow babies in the pool, but I’ll ask if we can make an exception.’
Make an attempt (= Try to do something) ‘Mike made an attempt to look interested, but physics wasn’t really his subject.’
Make a judgement (= Analyse a situation, give an opinion) ‘It is difficult to make objective judgements about foreign policy issues.’
Make an effort (= Work hard to achieve a goal, attempt) ‘You need to make an effort if you want to pass your exams this summer!’
Make progress (= Advance, develop) ‘I really feel like I’m making progress with my book. It should be ready to publish soon!’
Make a plan (= Agree on a course of action) ‘If you want to be successful in business, then first you need to make a plan.’
Make time (= Set aside time for something/someone) ‘I’d love to go to the gym, but I just can’t make time at the moment!’ ‘Work’s been taking over recently! I really need to make more time for my kids.’
Make a difference (= Have an effect on) ‘Curtis is so stubborn! You can try to persuade him, but it won’tmake any difference.’ ‘I want to find a job where I can make a difference to people’s lives.’
Make a change (= Start something new, change your life or behaviour) ‘I’ve been living in London for 2 years, but now I feel it’s time to make a change.’
Make sure/certain (= Ensure something is as it should be) ‘Make sure you take your passport to the airport. Don’t forget it like you did last time!’
DAILY ROUTINE
Make the bed (= Make fit for use/sleep, tidy up) ‘I’ll make the bed if you go downstairs and make breakfast.’
Make a mess (= Create an untidy, dirty or disorganised situation) ‘If you give kids brushes and paint, they are bound to make a mess!’ ‘My boss has made a total mess of this paperwork! I’ll have to do it all again tomorrow.’
PHYSICAL OBJECTS & PRODUCTION
Make a dress (= Create or sew a dress)‘ My friend Gill made her own wedding dress and it looked fantastic!’
Make furniture (= Create furniture through carpentry or woodwork)‘ My grandfather used to make furniture for a living. These days it’s all made in factories.’
Make a copy (= Duplicate, create a copy of something) ‘I love this album! Can you make me a copy?’
Make a new product (= Invent, think up) ‘Apple is always making new products. That’s what makes it such a great tech company.’
Make steel wire (= Manufacture) ‘This factory used to make steel wire, but it closed due to competition from overseas.’
Make a fire (= Build and light a fire) ‘When trying to survive in the wilderness, the first thing to do is make a fire.’
MIND & IMAGINATION
Make a wish (= Will something to happen, hope something will come true) ‘When you blow out the candles on your birthday cake, don’t forget to make a wish!’’
Make believe (= Imaginary, fantasy, ideal but not real) ‘The government has promised to invest in public services, but that’s just make believe!’ ‘Alice in Wonderland is a children’s book that is set in a make-believe world.’ (Adjective)
Make sense (= Be sensible, reasonable, understood) ‘I don’t think it makes sense to earn a lot of money if you then have no time to enjoy it.’ ‘Did you have a bit to drink last night? You weren’t making any sense on the phone!’
Make a discovery (= Find something new, invent, realise) ‘Scientists from NASA have made a new discovery on Mars!’
Watch out for collocations that allow the use of ‘make’ AND ‘do’. These are rare, but you should learn them. For example, ‘Do a presentation’ (conduct/perform) vs. ‘Make a presentation’ (same meaning, or emphasises its creation) or ‘make the bed’ (Standard English) vs. ‘do the bed’ (colloquial).
APPOINTMENTS & TRAVEL
Make a visit (Go to, travel to) ‘The Queen will make a state visit to France while she is in Europe.’
Make a booking/reservation (= Reserve a place) ‘I’d like to make a reservation. Do you have any availability on Sunday the 25th at 7pm?’
Make an appointment (= Schedule an individual consultation or meeting) ‘All patients wishing to make an appointment should phone to book in advance.’
Make arrangements (= Organise or plan something) ‘I’ve made arrangements for the kids to stay with my parents over the weekend.’
Make a cancellation (= Annul a previous booking or appointment) ‘Hello, I’m phoning to make a cancellation. My order number is…’
Make a list (= Have an agenda of tasks) ‘My wife has made a list of all the things I’ve done wrong. As you can imagine, it’s quite long!’
Make a journey (= Travel somewhere) ‘To raise money for charity, Jan is planning to make a journey from the UK to Mongolia!’
Make it (= Get to a place, attend) ‘I’m really busy next weekend, but I’ll do my best to make it to the party!’ ‘I’m afraid I’m not going to make it back in time for dinner.’(Get home)
NOTE: We can also use ‘make’ to mean: get into or deserve a place in. For example, ‘John made the first team’ (won a place in the team through his performance) or ‘The car accident made the headlines’ (was included in the news). John did not create or form the team, nor did the car accident write the headlines.
Collocations with DO
DAILY ROUTINE
Do the dishes/washing/ironing (= Wash the dishes, wash and iron clothes) ‘I really hate doing the dishes, but I don’t mind mowing the lawn.’
Do housework (= Perform routine cleaning/tidying around the house) ‘Women still do the majority of housework in the UK, and that’s not fair!’
Do the shopping (= Buy food and household goods) ‘We do the shopping once a week at a large supermarket.’
Do it yourself (= DIY, perform amateur repairs or renovation work yourself) ‘I only learned to do DIY when I bought my first house. It needed a lot of work!’
Do your nails (= Have a manicure) ‘Do you do your own nails or do you go to a beauty salon?’
Do your makeup (= Put on cosmetics) ‘How long does it take for you to do your makeup in the morning?’
Do 60 miles per hour (= Drive or travel at 60 mph) ‘When I commute to London, I want to be doing 70 (mph), but I’m usually stuck in traffic!’
STUDY & THOUGHT
Do maths/biology/English (= Study a subject) ‘What’s your son doing at school now? Mine is doing A-Level Maths and Biology?’
Do homework (= Complete tasks given by your teacher) ‘When I was at school, all the kids used to do their homework on the bus in the morning!’
Do an exercise (= Complete a study or training task) ‘The Biology teacher asked us to do an exercise from the textbook.’
Do a crossword (= Complete a crossword puzzle) ‘I like doing crosswords on the train.’
Do a quiz (= Play a game in which you have to answer questions on a topic) ‘My parents do a quiz at the local pub every Wednesday night.’
Do a translation (= Convert from one language to another) ‘On the final exam, you have to do a translation from French into English.’
Do research (= Investigate a topic, study in depth) ‘British cancer specialists are currently doing researchinto cell regeneration.’
Do some studying (= Learn something, revise) ‘I really need to do some studying because I’m behind on my uni work!’
Do an essay (= Complete an assignment) ‘Will I have to do any essays as part of the English course?’
Do a test/exam (= Evaluate, check knowledge) ‘I disagree with scientists doing tests on lab rats. It’s so cruel!’ ‘Are you doing your exams this week or next?’
Do a task (= Solve a problem, perform a job) ‘The teacher asked us to do a task on reading comprehension.’
Do a course (= Attend a class or study programme) ‘If I have time, I’d like to do a Spanish course abroad next summer.’
The word ‘do’ can be used informally as a noun in British English when referring to a social event or party. For example, ‘Are you going to Mike’s birthday do next Saturday?’ or ‘There’s a do on at the local (pub) this weekend, if you fancy it.’
CRIMINAL
Do a robbery (= Commit an armed theft) ‘The police were unaware that the gang was planning to do a robbery in the area.’
Do time (= Spend time in prison) ‘I guy I used to go to school with is now doing time formurder.’
Do drugs (= Take illegal narcotics) ‘At British schools they teach teenagers about the dangers of doing drugs.’
Do a raid (= Police attack to arrest criminals) ‘The police did a raid on a local warehouse early this morning.’
SPORTS & HOBBIES
Do sport (= Engage in sports, USA = ‘play sports’) ‘How often do kids do sport at your school?’ (Informal)
Do exercise (= Train physically) ‘Doctors recommend you do some active physical exercise every day.
Do Karate/Judo (= Train in martial arts) ‘I used to do karate when I was a uni, but I don’t have time these days.’
Do gymnastics/ballet/yoga (= Perform or practise gymnastics/ballet/yoga) ‘My mum’s really active! She does yoga on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.’
Do Athletics (= Train in athletics) ‘I hated doing athletics at school. Now I won’t even watch the Olympics!’
Do a drawing (= Sketch or draw something) ‘My daughter did a beautiful drawing for me so I put it up on the wall at work.’
Do a dance (= Show your dance moves, perform a dance) ‘When I win a new contract a work, I always do a little victory dance for my colleagues!’
Do a number (= Perform a live act) ‘Harry did a great number at the charity talent show. I never knew he could juggle!’
NOTE: Football, rugby, cricket, basketball, tennis, etc. usually to take ‘play’ and not ‘do’.
WORK & BUSINESS
What do you do? (= What is your job?) ‘I work for a large law firm. What do you do (for a living)?’
Do business (= Trade, buy or sell) ‘Doing business internationally can be a real challenge.’ ‘Our company mostly does business with local suppliers.’
In Spanish, both ‘make’ and ‘do’ can be translated as the single word ‘HACER’. Does your native language have a distinction between ‘make’ and ‘do’? Perhaps these concepts are expressed in a different way than in English.
Do work (= Carry out a job or task) ‘Can you please stop distracting me? I really need to do some work this afternoon!’
Do a deal (= Agree a contract or arrangement) ‘I heard you’re doing a deal with Sony. That’s great news for the company!’
Do a project (= Execute a planned set of tasks) ‘Our firm is doing a joint project with a company from Holland.’
Do your job (= Perform your work-related tasks) ‘If you do your job well, you can expect a nice bonus at the end of the year.’
Do an operation (= Perform a surgical procedure) ‘Doctor Pearce was in theatre doing an operation so I called another member of staff.’
Do an experiment (= Carry out an experiment) ‘We’re doing an experiment at work to examine the effects of stress on productivity.’
Do paperwork (= Carry out bureaucratic admin tasks) ‘I’m responsible for doing most of the paperwork in our family business.’
Do the accounts/books (= Perform accounting work) ‘I’m no good with numbers so I get an accountant to do my books once a year.’
Do a talk (= Give a public presentation or speech) ‘Our local school has invited me in to do a talkabout career opportunities in London.’
Do a presentation (= Conduct a formal talk on a subject) ‘I’m super nervous because I have to do a presentation at our next conference.’
Do overtime (= Stay late to work more) ‘Julie is off sick so I have to do overtime all this week to cover for her.’
ACTIONS: GOOD, BAD & GENERAL
Do your best (= Try your hardest) ‘I know you didn’t have enough time to revise for the exam, but just do your best!’
Do good (= Perform an act of kindness, be of benefit to your health) ‘Charities in Africa think they’re doing good, but perhaps that’s not always the case.’ ‘You should get out in the fresh air more. It would do you good!’
The noun ‘do-gooder’ is a negative term for a person who tries to help others, but is seen to be an interfering nuisance. We can also use the funny expression ‘goodie-two-shoes’ about a person who tries to be good and follow the rules all the time!
Do the right thing (= Act in a morally correct way) ‘Divorces are never easy, but I’m sure you’ll both do the right thing by your kids.’
Do your duty (= Fulfil your responsibility) ‘Soldiers need to do their duty to their country in times of war.’
Do a favour (= Help another person) ‘Can you do me a big favour and pick the kids up from school tomorrow?’
Do something right/wrong (= Carry out an action correctly/incorrectly) ‘You must have done something wrong because now the computer isn’t working at all.’ ‘Beautiful wife, smart kids, great job…you must be doing something right!’ (In life)
Do well/badly (= Perform well/badly) ‘Mary did wellin her exams, but her brother did badly (in his exams).’
Do harm (= Hurt, injure) ‘It wouldn’t do you any harm to help me with the housework once in a while!’
Do damage (= Harm someone or something) ‘The accident did some serious damage to the side of my car!’
Do a lot (= Perform frequently, make a valuable contribution) ‘George does a lot for the local community through his volunteer work.’ ‘Do you do a lot of cycling during the week?’
Do the (bare) minimum (= Put minimum effort into something) ‘When it comes to tidying the office, my colleagues always do the bare minimum!’
Do it to the max (= Put maximum effort into something, enjoy to the full) ‘If you only go clubbing once a year, then you might as well do it to the max!’
Do anything (= Perform any action, sacrifice it all) ‘Honestly, I haven’t done anything! It was all Lucy’s fault.’ ‘I would do literally anything to meet Brad Pitt!’
Do everything (= Complete all tasks, try your hardest) ‘I promise to do everything I can to help.’
Do nothing (= Be idle, ignore) ‘My favourite hobby is doing nothing.’
Phrasal verbs with make and do
Phrasal verbs with MAKE
MAKE UP
a) Imagine, think up, invent, lie
‘If you don’t know the answer, then just make one up!’ ‘I really believed my son’s story about the broken window, but he had just made it up.’
b) Make peace after an argument, reconcile
‘I had an argument with my wife, but we’ve made up now.’ ‘Has Mike made upwith Chloe? I know they had a fight last week.’
c) Decide, choose (make up one’s mind)
‘There’s so much choice that I can’t make up my mind which ice cream to get!’ ‘Will you please make up your mind? We haven’t got all day!’
d) Constitute, consist of (scientific/formal)
‘A car engine is made up of many different components.’ ‘This social committee is made up of 12 community representatives.’
In everyday conversation, it is more common to say ‘made of’. For example, ‘What’s your guitar made of – wood or fibre glass?’. We can also move the material type into the adjective position, as in: ‘wooden guitar’ or ‘glass vase’. Only use ‘made up of’ in scientific or formal contexts.
e) Compensate for, add missing money/time
‘If you pay your share of the bill, then I will make up the difference.’ ‘I was off work with a cold last week so now I’m making up the time by staying late.’ ‘Sorry I didn’t get to your birthday! I promise I’ll make it up to you next time I’m in town.’ ‘If I make a mistake a work, then I always try to make up for it after.’
f) Put on cosmetics
‘June liked to make herself up before going to the theatre.’ ‘My girlfriend won’t leave the house without putting her makeup on!’ (Noun)
g) Prepare a room or bed for a guest
‘Robert’s coming to stay tomorrow so we need to make up the spare room.’ ‘Have you made (up) the guest bed for Robert yet?’
MAKE OUT
a) Understand, comprehend (with difficulty)
‘She couldn’t make out what he was saying (due to the noise).’ ‘Steve is such a weird guy! I just can’t make him out.’ ‘Why are English trains always late? I just can’t make it out! ‘I could just about make out her writing, even though the letter was old and faded.’
b) Complete and sign over to
‘Richard made the cheque out to his son.’ ‘The old man made out a will to his next of kin.’
c) Pretend, give a false impression
‘Some famous rappers make out they are real gangsters.’ ‘The art thief made out that the fake copy was an original.’
d) Engage in sexual activity or intercourse (USA, informal)
‘The young couple were making out in the car when the police arrived.’
MAKE OF
Think, understand, conclude
‘I’m not sure what to make of this!’ (I don’t know what to conclude, don’t understand it) ‘What do you make of this student’s poor attendance?’ (What is your opinion?)
MAKE OFF
Leave quietly, escape with a stolen item
‘We caught a brief glimpse of the tiger before it made offinto the dark jungle.’ ‘The burglar made offwith a flat screen TV and some cash.’
MAKE INTO
Change into, turn into, transform
‘We plan to make our atticinto an art studio.’ ‘Worrying about your problems all the time will make you into a nervous wreck!’
MAKE OVER
a) Transfer ownership
‘I will make this house over to you before I die.’
b) Remodel, improve the appearance of something or someone
‘On the TV dating show, the 3 contestants were given a free makeover.’ (Noun) ‘Our house is in a bad condition, but we plan to make it over.’ (USA)
MAKE FOR
Go towards, try to escape
‘If you make for the valley, then you’ll be back at the campsite by nightfall.’ ‘The frightened kitten made for the door, but it was closed.’
Phrasal verbs with DO
DO UP
a) Improve condition of, renovate
‘We’ve bought a new house, but need to do it up before we can move in. ‘They really should do up the local school! It has been neglected for years.’
If you are buying a house in the UK, you can save a lot of money by choosing a “doer-upper”. This is a slang term for a house that you need to ‘do up’ or renovate. Properties like this are usually much cheaper, but require some hard work and investment.
b) Fasten, close
‘It’s getting cold. Do up your coat!’ ‘We’re not driving anywhere until you do your seatbelt up!’
DO OUT
Fix up, renovate, decorate
‘They’ve had their kitchen done out in green tiles and marble worktops.’
DO OUT OF
Take away unfairly, prevent someone receiving what is rightfully theirs
‘Maggie’s relatives have secretly done her out of a large inheritance.’
DO WITH
Relate to, be connected with
‘I think tectonic plates have something to do with earthquakes, don’t they?’ ‘Can you please mind your own business? This has nothing to do with you!’
DO WITHOUT
Continue or live without something or someone
‘I’ve had my dog Sammy for 10 years. Now I just can’t do without him!’ ‘If you don’t want to eat what I’ve cooked, then you can just do without!’ (Not eat anything)
DO OVER
a) Repeat, do again
‘This assignment is no good at all! You’ll have to do it over.’ (USA)
b) Beat up
‘The thief claims that the police did him over in his cell.’
DO DOWN
Belittle, criticise, put down
‘I don’t think my boss likes me. He’s always trying to do me down!’ Note: ‘Put down’ is more common in British English.
DO AWAY WITH
Get rid of, abolish, remove
‘They are doing away with diesel cars. In the future, no one will manufacture them.’ ‘The UK government has voted to do away with fox hunting.’
Practice tips and links to exercises
In this guide, you have seen over 160 combinations (collocations and phrasal verbs) with the words ‘make’ and ‘do’. However, learning them all is easier said than done! Try the following tips and exercises to help you remember the most commonly used expressions.
Tips to help you learn make vs. do collocations
KNOW THE BASICS: If something physical or abstract is being created, then ‘make’ is the likely choice. If the context focuses on the performance of a repetitive process, then ‘do’ may be preferable.
HIT THE BOOKS: Textbooks like the Phrasal Verbs in Use series (Cambridge) and Practical English Usage (M. Swan) provide clear explanations and exercises on phrasal verbs and collocations. These are good books to have in your personal English library.
LEARN OVER TIME: Be selective with your choice of collocations and phrasal verbs. Only learn expressions that you are likely to use regularly when speaking, reading and writing in English. Learn a few new combinations each week and build your vocabulary over time for the best results.
ASK A NATIVE: Not sure whether to use ‘make’ or ‘do’? Not clear on the meaning of a collocation or phrasal verb? Try asking a native speaker for assistance! This could be your English teacher, a friend or a member of an ESL group on Facebook.
CORRECT YOUR MISTAKES: If you want to improve your fluency in English, then you need to become your own best critic! This means analysing your errors and asking questions about why your English is sometimes wrong. Whenever you make a mistake, write it down, find the correct form and make an effort to learn it!
Exercises to help you practise with ‘make’ and ‘do’
Perfect-English-Grammar.com has four sets of multiple choice exercises dedicated to the differences between ‘make’ and ‘do’. Well worth a look!
BBC Learning English has some basic explanations, followed by a multiple choice list of short exercises to help you test your understanding of make vs. do.
Cambridge English has an interesting interactive set of exercises. These ask you to select ‘make’ or ‘do’ for each example. The correct answer is then displayed.
BusinessEnglishResources.com has a wide range of free materials on topics related to business English. These include one page of exercises on the difference between ‘make’ and ‘do’ in a work context.
