Make vs Do: When to Use Each
Make vs Do (make ও do-এর পার্থক্য)
Introductionভূমিকা
In Bangla one verb, করা, covers both. In English the work is split between two, and no rule covers every case — which is why 'do a mistake' still slips out of people who have studied English for a decade.
বাংলায় একটাই ক্রিয়া — 'করা' — দুটোর কাজ চালিয়ে দেয়। ইংরেজিতে কাজটা দুটো ক্রিয়ার মধ্যে ভাগ হয়ে গেছে, আর কোনো নিয়মই সব ক্ষেত্রে খাটে না — এই কারণেই দশ বছর ইংরেজি পড়া মানুষের মুখ দিয়েও 'do a mistake' বেরিয়ে যায়।
Definitionসংজ্ঞা
As a rough guide, 'make' is for producing or creating something that did not exist before, and 'do' is for performing an action, a task or a job. Beyond that, the pairings are fixed collocations you learn as pairs.
মোটামুটি নিয়ম: আগে ছিল না এমন কিছু তৈরি বা উৎপাদন করলে 'make', আর কোনো কাজ, দায়িত্ব বা কর্ম সম্পাদন করলে 'do'। এর বাইরে জোড়াগুলো নির্দিষ্ট — জোড়া ধরেই শিখতে হয়।
Bangla Explanationবাংলা ব্যাখ্যা
মোটা দাগে: **make = বানানো** (আগে ছিল না, এখন হলো), **do = করা** (কাজ, দায়িত্ব)। 'make tea' — চা আগে ছিল না, বানালেন। 'do the dishes' — বাসন ধোয়া একটা কাজ। কিন্তু এই নিয়মে সব ধরা পড়ে না, তাই তালিকা দুটো মনে রাখাই সবচেয়ে কাজের। **Make:** make a mistake, make a decision, make money, make friends, make noise, make a phone call, make progress, make a plan, make an effort, make sure, make a promise, make breakfast, make a mess। **Do:** do homework, do business, do a job, do the shopping, do the cleaning, do exercise, do research, do your best, do a favour, do damage, do the dishes, do nothing। বাংলাদেশি শিক্ষার্থীদের মধ্যে সবচেয়ে বেশি হয় তিনটা ভুল — 'do a mistake' (হবে make), 'make homework' (হবে do), আর 'do a phone call' (হবে make)। এই তিনটা ঠিক করলেই বেশিরভাগ সমস্যা মিটে যায়।
Examplesউদাহরণ
- I made a mistake on the form.ফর্মে একটা ভুল করেছি। (make a mistake — do নয়)
- Have you done your homework?হোমওয়ার্ক করেছ? (do homework — make নয়)
- She made a phone call to the office.সে অফিসে একটা ফোন করেছিল।
- He does business with a company in Chattogram.সে চট্টগ্রামের একটা কোম্পানির সাথে ব্যবসা করে।
- Please don't make noise — the baby is sleeping.দয়া করে শব্দ কোরো না — বাচ্চা ঘুমাচ্ছে।
- I'll do the shopping after work.কাজ শেষে বাজারটা করে ফেলব।
- Just do your best in the exam.পরীক্ষায় নিজের সেরাটা দাও।
Common Mistakesসাধারণ ভুল
I did a mistake in the calculation.
I made a mistake in the calculation.
'Make a mistake' is fixed. This is the single most common make/do error among Bangla speakers.
He is making his homework now.
He is doing his homework now.
Homework is a task you perform, not an object you create — so it takes 'do'.
Can you do a phone call to the bank?
Can you make a phone call to the bank?
'Make a call' is the fixed pairing, even though placing a call feels like an action.
She did a lot of money last year.
She made a lot of money last year.
Money is produced, so English uses 'make'. 'Do business' but 'make money' — the pair have to be learnt separately.
Tipsটিপস
- If something new exists afterwards — a cake, a plan, a decision, a friend — it is usually 'make'. — শেষে নতুন কিছু তৈরি হলে — কেক, পরিকল্পনা, সিদ্ধান্ত, বন্ধু — সাধারণত 'make'।
- If it is a chore, a duty or a job, it is usually 'do': homework, dishes, cleaning, research. — কাজ, দায়িত্ব বা কর্ম হলে সাধারণত 'do': homework, dishes, cleaning, research।
- Learn them in pairs, out loud. 'Make a mistake' as one word is faster than deciding each time. — জোড়া ধরে জোরে বলে শিখুন। প্রতিবার ভাবার চেয়ে 'make a mistake' একটা শব্দ হিসেবে দ্রুত আসে।
- Write the ten pairs you get wrong most on your phone's notes and read them once a day for a week. — যে দশটা জোড়ায় বেশি ভুল হয়, ফোনে লিখে রাখুন আর সপ্তাহখানেক দিনে একবার পড়ুন।
Quizকুইজ
Tap an answer to check yourself — a free preview of the full graded quiz in the app.
1. Choose the correct sentence.
2. Fill in: Have you ___ your homework?
3. Fill in: He ___ a lot of money from that business.
4. Which one takes 'do'?
Practiceঅনুশীলন
Try each one, then reveal the answer.
1. Fill in: Please don't ___ noise in the library.
Hint: Noise is produced.
2. Correct: 'I will do a plan for the trip.'
Hint: A plan is created.
3. Fill in: Could you ___ me a favour?
Hint: A favour is performed, not produced.
Related Lessonsসম্পর্কিত পাঠ
- Say vs Tell: The Difference and How to Use BothSay vs tell explained simply: one rule that settles almost every case, fixed phrases you must memorise, Bangla explanation, common mistakes and a free quiz.
- 100 Common English Verbs with ExamplesLearn common english verbs with examples and Bangla meaning: everyday action words, natural sentences, common mistakes, tips and a free quiz.
- Auxiliary Verbs (Be, Do, Have)Auxiliary verbs in Bangla and English: how be, do and have help build tenses, questions and negatives, with rules, examples, common mistakes and a free quiz.
AI Practiceএআই অনুশীলন
Practise this topic in a real conversation with your AI teacher — it asks questions, corrects you gently, and adapts to your level, all inside EnglishBD.
Practise with the AI teacher →Frequently Asked Questionsসাধারণ জিজ্ঞাসা
Is there one rule that always works?
No, and any site that gives you one is simplifying. 'Make = create, do = perform' covers maybe seventy per cent. The rest are fixed pairs — which is genuinely how native speakers learn them too.
Why is it 'make the bed' when you are not creating a bed?
Because you are creating the made-up state of it — but honestly, this one is just an idiom. Memorise it and move on.
Which pairs matter most for exams and interviews?
Make: a mistake, a decision, progress, an effort, sure, a call. Do: homework, business, your best, research, a favour. Those ten cover most of what comes up.
Does 'do' have other uses?
Yes — 'do' is also the auxiliary in questions and negatives ('Do you like tea?', 'I don't know'). That is a separate job from the make/do choice here.