Please explain this phrase: "What makes you say that, madam?"

[heiner]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #70 "Chit Chat: In the train", question 4

Mr Corp: What ......... you say that, madam?

(a) forces
(b) makes
(c) does
(d) requires

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #70 "Chit Chat: In the train", answer 4

Mr Corp: What makes you say that, madam?

Correct answer: (b) makes

Your answer was: incorrect
Mr Corp: What does you say that, madam?
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i'm a little confuse for make question with you we use DO right way in this sentence use does?

aila

[Alan]

Hi aila,

This use of make here means oblige/persuade/force as in:

I don't know what made me do it = I don't know what persuaded me to do it.

In the test sentence: What makes you say that? really means what persuades you to say that or Why do you say that?

Hope this is clear.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Redbmk]

[Cristovam]

Hi dear. The figther between make and do is endless. Further I study this subject less I learn. I will go on trying to assimilate the spirit of the matter. Who knows one day I find out the logic of that hard theme. Thank you.

[Luschen]

I guess you will just have to make do.

Sorry, I could not resist.

[Alan]

Hi Cristovam,

You may be interested on a piece I wrote for the site on this topic:

http://www.english-test.net/lessons/5/index.html

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Cristovam]

Sorry mister luschen. I would thank if you can explain what you answered to me. Please do it. Again, do not forget that. It`s evidente that my English knowledge is very limited and I am here to learn. I am sure you will send me a message. Regards.

[Luschen]

Hi, "make do" means to do your best with what you have available. I thought it was funny since you had trouble differentiating between make and do, so I used an expression that contained both words.

[Redbmk]

In the most common cases, make means to create something, and do means to perform an action. The word do tends to be more general, because you are doing something when you make an item.

For example,

Person A: What are you doing?
Person B: I am making bread.

The word make is also commonly used to mean "force to". If you "make someone do something" you are forcing them to perform that action.

For example,

Mother: Will you do the dishes?
Son: Mom, please don't make me do the dishes! I want to go play outside!

I think most other uses of "make" and "do" that might seem confusing are idioms, which tend not to make very much sense regardless.