Question 1

What does "make do with" mean in English?

Accepted Answer

"Make do with" means to manage or cope with something that is not ideal — using what you have rather than what you want: "We don't have butter, so we'll have to make do with margarine." The expression suggests that the situation is not perfect, but you accept it and find a way to succeed. It is very common in everyday British English: "There weren't enough chairs, so some people had to make do with standing." The phrase can also appear without "with": "We'll just have to make do." This idiom is frequently tested in B2 reading comprehension tasks where students must understand the meaning from context rather than translating word by word.

Question 2

What is the difference between "do up" and "make up"?

Accepted Answer

"Do up" has two main meanings: renovate a building or room ("They did up the old cottage beautifully") and fasten clothing or buttons ("Do up your coat — it's cold outside"). "Make up" also has multiple meanings, but they are completely different: invent a story ("She made up an excuse"), apply cosmetics ("She made up her face"), and become friends again after an argument ("They argued but made up the next day"). These phrasal verbs cannot be swapped — "do up your face" and "make up your coat" are both wrong. Learning them as separate fixed expressions with clear example sentences is the most reliable approach for B2 level mastery.

Question 3

How do I use "make" and "do" in the passive voice?

Accepted Answer

In the passive, the object of "make" or "do" becomes the subject: "Someone made a decision" becomes "A decision was made." "Someone did the research" becomes "The research was done." The passive with "make" is common in formal writing: "Arrangements have been made for the conference," "An exception cannot be made." The passive with "do" appears in professional and academic contexts: "More work needs to be done," "Everything has been done to ensure safety." Notice that "done" (past participle of "do") and "made" (past participle of "make") are both irregular forms. Passive make-and-do expressions are frequently tested in B2 First Use of English Part 4 transformations.

Make vs Do — Advanced Practice

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-ed vs -ing Adjectives

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