Students learn the core rule for choosing between make and do, DO for general actions and repeated tasks, MAKE for creating, producing, or deciding something, and practice it with real collocations such as do the laundry, do business, do research, make a mistake, make a plan, and make an appointment. They also tackle the trickier expressions that break the rule entirely, like make money, make friends, and do well, the ones that simply have to be memorized through repeated exposure. This ESL vocabulary lesson plan gives students exactly that kind of repeated, natural exposure, through a video, a game, and several rounds of speaking practice, and even sends them off with a bonus batch of collocations in the Wrap-Up Discussion.
It’s a fantastic lesson plan for A2-B1 students who want to stop guessing between make and do and finally use both with confidence, whether they’re describing their morning routine, their job, or their weekend plans, while getting plenty of guided and free speaking practice along the way.
lesson overview
This make and do collocations ESL lesson plan for A2-B1 students finally clears up one of the most common vocabulary mix-ups in English. Built for teachers who want a ready-to-use A2-B1 ESL lesson plan for adults and older teens, it introduces the general rule behind MAKE and DO, then puts it into action through a fill-in-the-gaps activity, an authentic movie clip, and a lively speaking practice. Students learn to recognize and use everyday collocations like do the dishes, make a decision, and make an effort, then move into guided and free speaking practice to make the language stick. The user-friendly digital format allows easy navigation in presentation mode with just a click of the spacebar, requiring no additional software.
Target Audience:
- Level: A2–B1 (Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate)
- Best for: Adults, older teens
Content Breakdown:
- Warm-Up Discussion
- Learn the Rule: Make or Do
- Fill in the Gaps with Make or Do
- Mini Speaking
- Choose the Correct Alternative
- Mini Speaking
- Watch the Video and Spot the Collocations
- Describe the Pictures
- Say if You Agree or Disagree
- Pick a Speaking Card
- Wrap-Up Discussion
HOMEWORK (Extra Language Immersion):
Watch & Reflect
Students watch a short, authentic video from GCFGlobal on overcoming phone anxiety, followed by personal reflection questions about their own relationship with phone calls. It’s a natural, low-pressure way to reinforce make and do collocations outside the classroom.