Do or make?

When we use do and make with noun phrases, do focuses on the process of acting or performing something, make emphasises more the product or outcome of an action:

When I was [action]doing the calculations, I [outcome]made two mistakes.

I [action]did some work for her last summer; I [outcome]made a pond in her garden.

Examples of nouns used with do and make

Nouns which combine with do

activity	damage	favour	job	task
business	drawing	gardening	laundry	test
cleaning	duty	harm	one’s best	washing (up)
cooking	exam(ination)	homework	painting	work
course	exercise	ironing	shopping

I do the shopping on Fridays usually.

Could you do a job for me next week?

Who does the cooking in your house?

Nouns which combine with make

apology	coffee	excuse	love	offer	remark
assumption	comment	friends	lunch	phone call	sound
bed	complaint	guess	mess	plan	soup
breakfast	dinner	law	mistake	profit	speech
cake	effort	list	money	progress	statement
change	error	loss	noise	promise	tea

They made me an interesting offer of a job in Warsaw.

Not many building firms will make a profit this year.

I have to make a phone call.