Use of do, Make, Must & Ought to

A.

‘Do’ and ‘Make’: The two verbs ‘do’ and ‘make’ are often confused. The meanings are similar, but there are differences.

‘Do’ for Activities

Use the verb ‘do’ to express daily activities or jobs. Notice that these are usually activates that produce no physical object.

Do homework

Do housework

Do the ironing

Do the dishes

Do a job

‘Do’ for General Ideas

Use ‘do’ when speaking about things in general. In other words, when we do not exactly name an activity. This form is often used with the words ‘something, nothing, anything, everything, etc.’

I’m not doing anything today.

He does everything for his mother.

She’s doing nothing at the moment.

Important Expressions with ‘Do’

There are a number of standard expressions that take the verb ‘do’.

Do one’s best

Do good

Do harm

Do a favour

Do business

‘Make’ for Constructing, Building, Creating

Use ‘make’ to express an activity that creates something that you can touch.

Make food make a cup of tea / coffee

Make a mess

Important Expressions with ‘Make’

There are a number of standard expressions that take the verb ‘make’. In a number of cases the verb ‘do’ seems more appropriate. These are standard collocations (verb + noun combinations) that are used in English.

Make plans

Make an exception

Make arrangements

Make a telephone call

Make a decision

Make a mistake

Make noise

Make money

Make an excuse

Make an effort

B.

Must, Ought To

‘Must’ is used to express necessity or obligation.

You must improve your spelling.

We must get up early.

‘Must’ refers to the present or the near future. To talk about the past we use had to (the past from of have to); must has no past from.

Yesterday we had to get up early.

‘Must’ is often used when the obligation comes from the speaker. When the obligation comes from somewhere else, have to is often used. Compare:

I must be on a diet. (It is my own idea.)

I have to be on a diet. (The doctor has told me to be on a diet.)

‘Must’ can also express logical certainty.

Living in such crowded conditions must be difficult. (=I am sure it is difficult.)

She must have left already. (I am sure she has left already)

‘Ought (to)’ expresses moral obligation or desirability;

We ought to love our neighbors.

We ought to help him.

You ought to know better.

‘Ought (to)’ can also be used to express probability;

Prices ought to come down soon.

This book ought to be very useful.