IELTS collocations

Make vs do collocations for IELTS

18 collocations with make or do, the pair learners mix up most. Each one has its meaning, an exam-style example and the wrong version to avoid.

Example

make a mistake

Learners who are afraid to make a mistake often speak too little.

See all 18
  • 18 collocations
  • Register for each one
  • Writing and Speaking
See all 18 collocations →Get free essay feedback

Written byFizza Butool ZaidiandAli ZaidiUpdated 11 November 2026

18 collocations

Make vs do: collocations with examples

Formal pairs suit Writing Task 2. Neutral ones work anywhere. Informal ones belong in Speaking.

  1. 1.make a mistake

    neutral

    do something wrong by accident

    Learners who are afraid to make a mistake often speak too little.

    Make collocates with mistake and error.

    Avoid: do a mistake → make a mistake

  2. 2.make a decision

    neutral

    decide something

    Parents should let teenagers make their own decisions about subjects.

    Take a decision is also used in British English.

    Avoid: do a decision → make a decision

  3. 3.make an effort

    neutral

    try hard to do something

    Tourists should make an effort to learn a few words of the local language.

    Make every effort is more emphatic.

    Avoid: do an effort → make an effort

  4. 4.make progress

    neutral

    improve or move towards a goal

    Students make faster progress when they get regular feedback.

    Progress is uncountable: no a.

    Avoid: do a progress → make progress

  5. 5.make a contribution to

    formal

    help to cause or achieve something

    Volunteers make a valuable contribution to society.

    Make a significant contribution is common in essays.

  6. 6.make a difference

    neutral

    have an important effect

    Small changes in diet can make a big difference to health.

    Make a real difference is a useful variation.

  7. 7.make money

    neutral

    earn money

    Some apps make money by selling users' data.

    Earn money is more formal.

    Avoid: do money → make money

  8. 8.make a complaint

    neutral

    formally say you are unhappy about something

    Customers can make a complaint online.

    Make an excuse and make a suggestion follow the same pattern.

  9. 9.make an excuse

    neutral

    give a reason, often untrue, for not doing something

    People often make excuses for not exercising.

    Make, not say or do, an excuse.

    Avoid: do an excuse → make an excuse

  10. 10.make friends

    neutral

    start a friendship

    Children make friends more easily at school than adults do at work.

    Make friends with someone.

    Avoid: do friends → make friends

  11. 11.do research

    neutral

    carry out a study to find information

    I did some research before choosing a university.

    Conduct research is more formal.

    Avoid: make research → do research

  12. 12.do homework

    neutral

    complete schoolwork set for home

    Pupils in some countries do homework for three hours a night.

    Homework is uncountable.

    Avoid: make homework → do homework

  13. 13.do damage

    neutral

    cause harm to something

    Floods did serious damage to farmland.

    Cause damage is an alternative.

    Avoid: make damage → do damage

  14. 14.do more harm than good

    neutral

    cause more problems than benefits

    Banning phones in schools may do more harm than good.

    A fixed phrase; useful for a balanced conclusion.

    Avoid: make more harm than good → do more harm than good

  15. 15.do your best

    informal

    try as hard as you can

    I always do my best in exams, but I still get nervous.

    Natural in Speaking.

    Avoid: make your best → do your best

  16. 16.do someone a favour

    informal

    help someone

    My neighbour did me a favour and watered my plants.

    British spelling: favour.

    Avoid: make someone a favour → do someone a favour

  17. 17.do business with

    neutral

    trade with a company or country

    Many firms prefer to do business with countries that have stable laws.

    Do business is the fixed phrase.

    Avoid: make business with → do business with

  18. 18.do a course

    informal

    study on a course

    I'm doing an online course in photography at the moment.

    British and informal. Take a course is more neutral.

    Avoid: make a course → do a course

Band tip

A rough rule helps: make is for creating or producing something (a decision, a mistake, money), and do is for activities, work and tasks (homework, research, business). The rule has exceptions, so learn each pair as a whole phrase.

Source: the public IELTS band descriptors, summarised on ielts.org. Using these collocations will not by itself guarantee a band; accuracy and relevance matter most.

Writing Task 2

Use it in an answer

An excerpt we wrote to show these collocations working together. Collocations from this page are in bold.

Writing Task 2Sample excerpt

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school. Do you agree or disagree?

I agree. Teenagers who volunteer make a real contribution to their communities, whether they help elderly residents or clean local parks. They also make friends outside their usual group and make progress in skills such as teamwork. Critics argue that compulsory schemes may do more harm than good if students resent them. However, if schools let pupils make their own decisions about where to volunteer, most will make an effort and benefit.

Use these collocations in a full essay

Write or record your own answer and get AI feedback on vocabulary, grammar and coherence. BandLadder feedback is an estimate, not an official IELTS score.

Get free essay feedback →

Frequently asked questions

Is there a rule for make vs do?+

Roughly: make is for producing or creating something, and do is for activities and tasks. There are many exceptions, so learn the common pairs as fixed phrases.

Is "take a decision" wrong?+

No. Make a decision is more common worldwide, but take a decision is also used in British English. Do a decision is wrong.

How much do make/do mistakes cost in IELTS?+

One slip will not decide your band, but the descriptors link higher bands to accurate word choice and collocation, so repeated errors hold scores down. They are also easy to fix.

Which make/do pairs are most useful for Task 2?+

Make a contribution, make a difference, make progress, do research and do more harm than good appear in many essay topics.

Keep going

More collocations

Practise in context

Real IELTS questions to try them on

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy