Page 85 - Basic English Usage

85 99-101

99 do + -ing

We often use do with -ing to talk about activities that take some time, or
that are repeated.
There is usually a ‘determiner’ (see 96) before the ing form — for
example the, my, some, much.
ido my shopping at weekends. | Have you done the washing up?
| did a lot of running when | was younger.
i think I'll stay at home and do some reading tonight.
For go -ing, see 147.

100 do and make

These words are very similar, but there are some differences.

We use do when we do not say exactly what activity we are talking about
— for example with something, nothing, anything, everything, what.
Do something! _ | like doing nothing.
What shallwe do? Then he did a very strange thing.

We use do when we talk about work, and in the structure do -ing (see 99).
I'm not going to do any work today. I'm going to do some reading.
| dislike doing housework. | hate doing the cooking and shopping.
Would you like to do my job?
We often use make to talk about constructing, building, creating, etc.
_|'ve just made acake. __Let’s make a pian.
My father and | once made a boat.
Learn these expressions:
do good/harm/business/one's best/a favour
make an offer/arrangements/a suggestion/a decision/
an attempt/an effort/an excuse/an exception/a mistake/a noise/
a journey/a phone call/money/a protit/iove/peace/war/a bed
For other expressions, look in a dictionary to see if do or make is used.

101 during and for

During says when something happens; for says how fong it lasts.
Compare:
My father was in hospital during the summer.
My father was in hospital for six weeks.(NOT ... during six-weeks-)
it rained during the night for two or three hours.
l'll call in and see you for a few minutes during the afternoon.