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When to use 'make' and 'do'?



 
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Test express/inter-3, Question 10 | with on heads?
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #1 (permalink) Fri Jan 14, 2005 15:12 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Test No. incompl/elem-15 "An Easy Question", question 7

Do you want me to ......... it easier for you?

(a) make
(b) do
(c) try
(d) take

Test No. incompl/elem-15 "An Easy Question", answer 7

Do you want me to make it easier for you?

Correct answer: (a) make

Your answer was: incorrect
Do you want me to do it easier for you?
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I have a problem with "make" and "do". Could you tell me the difference, please?
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Make or do #2 (permalink) Fri Jan 14, 2005 21:39 pm   Make or do
 

Hi,

These two verbs are a problem and it's difficult to make a general rule because there are so many idiomatic expressions. Broadly and that's all you can say, do is connected with activity as in do a job and make is connected with construction in a general sense as in make a drawing/a cake/ a model. Have a look at the piece I wrote called Make or Do, which you can see listed under esl lessons on the left of the main website.
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #3 (permalink) Wed Jul 01, 2009 17:18 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

I often listen somebody said "take it easy". So i can use take in this case, can't I?
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #4 (permalink) Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:10 am   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

I think this is open question, "it" not detail subject, so I shouldn't use "do " or "make" . In my opinion, we should use to take is the best choice.
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #5 (permalink) Sun Jun 13, 2010 15:24 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Dear Sir

Please explain this sentence's meaning? I don't know well.

"Do you want me to make it easier for you?"

Regards,
Masako
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #6 (permalink) Sun Jun 13, 2010 16:24 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Hi,

This means: Do you want me to explain it to you so that it is easier for you to understand?

Alan
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #7 (permalink) Tue Jun 15, 2010 15:19 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Dear Alan

Thank you for your explanation. I understand the meaning.

Regards,
Masako
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #8 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 17:03 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Could "make it easy" means: to become something easier to be done by someone else?To facilitate?
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #9 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 18:06 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Orchid1205 wrote:
I often listen somebody said "take it easy". So i can use take in this case, can't I?


No orchid, Take would not work in this case.

'Take it easy' means 'relax'/'stay calm'
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #10 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 18:07 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Vancao wrote:
I think this is open question, "it" not detail subject, so I shouldn't use "do " or "make" . In my opinion, we should use to take is the best choice.

Please see my response to Orchid explaining why 'take' would be incorrect.
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #11 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 18:11 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Gilson wrote:
Could "make it easy" means: to become something easier to be done by someone else?To facilitate?


Hi Gilson,

We are not told what the 'it' is in this question when we look at it out of the context of the entire exercise.

If it were a job or task then one of the ways the speaker might make it easier would be by sharing the task between more people.
That would only be the case in that particular scenario though.

If the speaker is asking about making a piece of academic work easier, then they might, for example, provide a narrower choice of answers or give the correct sentence structure.
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #12 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 19:45 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

The whole point is that you aren't supposed to take it out of the context of the test exercise. Each sentence is part of the conversation between two people. And the 'it' is the answering of the question and that's why it's called An Easy Question.

Alan
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #13 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 21:16 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

Alan wrote:
The whole point is that you aren't supposed to take it out of the context of the test exercise. Each sentence is part of the conversation between two people. And the 'it' is the answering of the question and that's why it's called An Easy Question.

Alan


That's why I emphasised that we were looking at it out of context here, Gilson could be correct - but only if he looked at it out of context.
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #14 (permalink) Sun Jun 20, 2010 14:07 pm   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

All right,IŽll make sure to be aware of the issue next time.
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When to use 'make' and 'do'? #15 (permalink) Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:38 am   When to use 'make' and 'do'?
 

How difference between take it easy and make it easy?
Thank
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