Let’s be honest, sometimes English can be confusing. Sometimes when learning English it is easy to mix up words or be unsure when to use them.
I often hear German speakers who are learning English make mistakes with the words ‘make’ and ‘do’. Often (but not always) it is because the German word ‘machen’ is mistranslated.
There are many phrases and expressions that exist in English where there is no real rule to help you remember the difference between ‘make’ and ‘do’. You just have to learn them. Sorry!
Take a look at the examples below. Hopefully they will make things clearer for you.
Make progress.
E.g. Things were quite slow for a while but we are finally making some progress and we should be finished by the end of the day.
Do a course.
E.g. I do several training courses a year to make sure I stay up-to-date with the latest developments in my field.
Do a job.
E.g. I’ve been doing this job for the last five years.
Have fun learning English!
Louise