Cᴏᴍᴍᴏɴ Mɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇs:
301. Wrong use of "the" with proper nouns.
❌Don't say: The Sarah will go to the England.
✅Say: Sarah will go to England.
Don't use the definite article with proper nouns.
302. Wrong use of "the" with proper nouns in the possessive.
❌Don't say: The Euripides' tragedies are famous.
✅Say: Euripides' tragedies are famous.
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303. Wrong use of "the" with abstract nouns.
❌Don't say: The bravery is a great virtue.
✅Say: Bravery is a great virtue.
Abstract nouns, if used in a general sense, can't take the article.
Note: Abstract nouns, used in a particular sense, use the article: The bravery of the Spartans was renowned.
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304. Wrong use of "the" with material nouns.
❌Don't say: The gold is a precious metal.
✅Say: Gold is a precious metal.
Don't use any article with material nouns, if used in a general sense.
Note: Material nouns, used in a particular sense, require the definite article: The coal from the Midlands is exported to many countries.
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305. Wrong use of "the" with plural nouns used in a general sense.
❌Don't say: The dogs are faithful animals.
✅Say: Dogs are faithful animals.
Omit the definite article before common nouns in the plural if used in a general sense.
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306. Wrong use of "the" with names of languages.
❌Don't use: Tim speaks the English very well.
✅Say: Tim speaks English very well.
Never use the definite article before the names of languages.
Note: We can say: He speaks the English language very well.
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307. Wrong use of "the" with names of meals.
❌Don't say: We'll start after the breakfast.
✔️✅Say: We'll start after breakfast.
Don't use the definite article before the names of meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper unless you are referring to a particular meal: The lunch they provided was excellent.
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308. Wrong use of "the" with names of games.
❌Don't say: My favourite game is the football.
✅Say: My favourite game is football.
Don't use an article before the names of games like football, hockey, tennis, cricket, volley-ball, basket-ball.
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309. Wrong use of "the" with names of diseases.
❌Don't say: The cholera is a dreadful disease.
✅Say: Cholera is a dreadful disease.
As a rule, don't use the definite article before the names of diseases.
Note: The indefinite article is needed with common names of illnesses: I was suffering from a cold (a fever, a cough, a headache).
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310. Wrong use of "the" with names of colours.
❌Don't say: The green is a beautiful colour.
✅Say: Green is a beautiful colour.
Don't use the definite article before the names of colours when used as nouns.
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311. Wrong use of "the" with the names of the senses.
❌Don't say: The sight is one of the five senses.
✅Say: Sight is one of the five senses.
Don't use an article before the names of the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch.
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312. Wrong use of "the" with names of days and months.
❌Don't say: The Sunday can be a day of prayer.
The December is the last month.
✅Say: Sunday can be a day of prayer.
December is the last month.
Don't use the definite article before the names of days and months.
Note: We say the Sunday before last, the December of 1940, etc.
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313. Wrong use of "the" with "man" denoting the human race.
❌Don't say: The man is born a sinner.
✅Say: Man is born a sinner.
Use "man", denoting the human race, without the definite article. Also, mankind requires no article: Disease is the enemy of mankind.
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314. Wrong use of "the" with school.
❌Don't say: My sister goes to the school.
✅Say: My sister goes to school.
To go to school means to be a student, while to go to the school, means to visit the school.
Note: Similarly, to leave school means to stop being a student and to leave the school means to go away from the school premises.
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315. Wrong use of "the" with church.
❌Don't say: On Sunday I go to the church.
✅Say: On Sunday I go to church.
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316. Wrong use of "the" with nature.
❌Don't say: The nature is beautiful in spring.
✅Say: Nature is beautiful in spring.
Note : Use the definite article if nature is used in other meanings: It is in the nature of a dog to be faithful.
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317. Wrong use of "the" with society.
❌Don't say: A thief is a danger to the society.
✅Say: A thief is a danger to society.
Note : Use the definite article if society is used (1) in a particular sense: The society of the Greeks was based on freedom; (2) in the sense of companionship: I enjoy the society of my friends.
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318. Wrong use of "the" in the phrase "in future" (=from now on).
❌Don't say: You must be careful in the future.
✅Say: You must be careful in future.
✖️Note : In the future means in the time to come: Nobody knows what will happen in the future.
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319. Wrong use of "the" after whose.
❌Don't say: The boy whose the father is ill has left.
✅Say: The boy whose father is ill has left.
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320. Wrong use of the indefinite article before work, etc.
❌Don't say: Gillian has found a work at the bank.
✅Say: Gillian has found work at the bank.
Don't use the indefinite article before such words as work, fun, health, permission.
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321. Can + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: My mother can to swim very well.
✅Say: My mother can swim very well.
Note: Always write the negative form "cannot" as one word. Alternatively, the short form "can't" can be used informally.
322. Could + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: I could not to see you yesterday.
✅Say: I could not/couldn't see you yesterday.
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323. May + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: May I to visit you next weekend?
✅Say: May I visit you next weekend?
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324. Might + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: He might to come in the morning.
✅Say: He might come in the morning.
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325. Must + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: I must to see her at her office.
✅Say: I must see her at her office.
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326. Let + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: Tom's father would not let him to go out.
✅Say: Tom's father would not let him go out.
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327. Make (to force) + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: You can't make Emma to understand.
✅Say: You can't make Emma understand.
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328. See + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: They saw him to leave the house.
✅Say: They saw him leave the house.
Note: They saw him leaving the house is also correct.
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329. Watch + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: I watched the girls to play hockey.
✅Say: I watched the girls play hockey.
Note: I watched the girls playing hockey is also correct.
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330. Hear + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: We heard him to speak in English.
✅Say: We heard him speak in English.
Note: We heard him speaking in English is also correct.
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331. Feel + infinitive without to.
❌Don't say: I could feel her heart to beat.
✅Say: I could feel her heart beat.
Or: I could feel her heart beating.
Note: If the verbs make, see, watch, hear, feel, are used in the passive, "to" must be used: He was seen to leave the house. He was heard to speak in English.
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332. Wrong repetition of subject.
❌Don't say: My little brother he is at school.
✅Say: My little brother is at school.
Never repeat the subject by using a pronoun after the noun. "My little brother", and "he" denote the same person. Therefore, use one or the other as subject, but not both.
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333. Wrong repetition of subject in a compound sentence.
❌Don't say: I went to the market and I bought fruit.
✅Say: I went to the market and bought fruit.
In a compound sentence, express the same subject once only and don't repeat it before each verb, unless the sentence is long and complicated.
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334. Wrong repetition of subject after an adjectival clause.
❌Don't say: David, who is a careless pupil, he lost his book.
✅Say: David, who is a careless pupil, lost his book.
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335. Wrong repetition of subject after a non-finite verb phrase.
❌Don't say: Karen and Tom, having signed the register, they left the church.
✅Say: Karen andTom, having signed the register, left the church.
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336. Wrong use of personal pronoun in a relative clause.
❌Don't say: The book which I lost it was new.
✅Say: The book which I lost was new.
Don't use a personal pronoun as well as a relative in the relative clause if they both refer to the same noun. In the first sentence both "which" and "it" refer to book.
337. Wrong repetition of object.
❌Don't say: The doctor I know him very well.
✅Say: I know the doctor very well.
In the sentence given, the words doctor and him denote one and the same object. Therefore, use either doctor or him, but not both in the same sentence.
In general we don't put the object before the verb so the word order in: "The doctor I know him very well" is also wrong.
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338. Wrong repetition of object with infinitive.
❌Don't say: I bought an English book to read it.
✅Say: I bought an English book to read.
Don't repeat an object with an infinitive of purpose if the verb takes an object.
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339. Wrong use of that in direct speech.
❌Don't say: She said that, 'I'm sure to pass.'
✅Say: She said, 'I'm sure to pass.'
We can't use "that" in direct speech, i.e. when we repeat the words that some other person has spoken without any change.
Note: In indirect speech we say: He said that he was sure to pass.
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340. Using a double comparative.
❌Don't say: He's more stronger than John.
✅Say: He's stronger than John.
Double comparatives are incorrect "more stronger" ought to be only "stronger". However, we can say much stronger.
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341. Misuse of adjectives that can't be compared.
❌Don't say: My work is more perfect than his.
✅Say: My work is superior to his.
Or: My work is better than his.
Certain adjectives can't be compared: perfect, unique, preferable, supreme, right, correct, etc.
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342. Return back used instead of return.
❌Don't say: She has returned back to school.
✅Say: She has returned to school.
Don't use the word back with return, because return means to come back.
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343. Begin from used instead of begin.
❌Don't say: Exams begin from Thursday.
✅Say: Exams begin on Thursday.
A thing can begin only at a point of time. The word cant be used to apply to the whole time during which a thing is being done.
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344. Consider as used instead of consider.
❌Don't say: Robert considers me as his best friend.
✅Say: Robert considers me his best friend.
Don't use "as" after the word "consider". We say: He regards me as his best friend or Robert considers me to be his best friend.
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345. For to used instead of to.
❌Don't say: I came here for to learn English.
✅Say: I came here to learn English.
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346. From where used instead of where.
❌Don't say: From where can I buy a good watch?
✅Say: Where can I buy a good watch?
Where means at what place, while from where denotes the point of origin. From where do tourists come?
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347. And etc. used instead of etc.
❌Don't say: I, you, we, and etc. are pronouns.
✅Say: I, you, we, etc., are pronouns.
Etc. is the short form of et cetera, a Latin phrase meaning "and other things". The combination "and etc." is wrong because it would mean "and and other things".
Note: However, students are advised to avoid using etc. in an essay and to use phrases such as "and other things", "and so on" instead.
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348. So ... so that instead of so ... that.
❌Don't say: I'm so tired so that I can't go.
✅Say: I'm so tired that I can't go.
When so or such is completed by a clause of result, introduce the clause by "that" and not by "so that".
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349. From now and on used instead of from now on.
❌Don't say: From now and on I'll study hard.
✅Say: From now on I'll study hard.
The phrase "from now and on" is incorrect. Say, "from now on".
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350. Although/Though ... yet used instead of although/though.
❌Don't say: Although it's raining, yet he'll go.
✅Say: Although it's raining, he'll go.
Although (though) is the conjunction introducing the subordinate clause, and a second one (yet or still) isn't required.
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351. Go to home used instead of go home.
❌Don't say: When school is over I go to home.
✅Say: When school is over I go home.
The expression "I go to home" is wrong. Say: I go home.
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352. Using "far" with a phrase of definite distance.
❌Don't say: Mary lives two miles far from here.
✅Say: Mary lives two miles from here.
When we use a phrase of definite distance (like: two miles) in a sentence, don't use the word "far". We can say: Mary lives two miles away.
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353. The adverb of definite time misplaced.
❌Don't say: I last night went to the cinema.
✅Say: I went to the cinema last night.
Adverbs or adverbial phrases of definite time, like yesterday, today, tomorrow, last week, two months ago, are usually placed at the end of the sentence. If we want to emphasise the time, we put the adverb at the beginning: Yesterday I was very busy.
Note: If there is more than one adverb of definite time in a sentence, put the more exact expression before the more general: He was born at two o'clock in the morning on April 12th 1942.
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354. The adverb of indefinite time misplaced.
❌Don't say: They come always to school by bus.
✅Say: They always come to school by bus.
Place adverbs of indefinite time, like ever, never, always, often, seldom, soon, sometimes and the adverbs almost, scarcely, hardly, nearly, even, before the principal verb.
Note: With the verb "to be" place the adverb of indefinite time after the verb: They are always beautifully dressed.
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355.The adverb of time placed before the adverb of place.
❌Don't say: The builders will be tomorrow here.
✅Say: The builders will be here tomorrow.
When using an adverb of time and an adverb of place together in a sentence, the adverb of place must come first.
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356. The adverb misplaced with a transitive verb.
❌Don't say: Janet wrote carefully her essay.
✅Say: Janet wrote her essay carefully.
With a transitive verb, the adverb generally comes after the object.
Note: If, however, the object is long, the adverb may come after the transitive verb: She wrote carefully all the essays she had to do.
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357. The adverb enough misplaced.
❌Don't say: Is the room enough large for,you?
✅Say: Is the room large enough for you?
Place the adverb "enough" after the word it qualifies and not before.
Note: When "enough" is an adjective it comes before the noun: We have enough food for six people.
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358. "Not" misplaced with a compound verb.
❌Don't say: I should have not gone ... .
✅Say: I should not have gone ... .
Position "not" in a compound verb after the first auxiliary.
Note: With the present or perfect participle, place "not" at the beginning: Not having set the alarm, he was late for work.
Not being rich, he couldn't afford it.
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359. "Not" misplaced with the negative infinitive.
❌Don't say: I told Liz to not come on Monday.
✅Say: I told Liz not to come on Monday.
Position "not" in the negative infinitive immediately before the word "to", and not after it.
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360. The subject of the sentence misplaced.
❌Don't say: Last week visited our school a man.
✅Say: A man visited our school last week.
In most English sentences place the subject first, the verb next, then the object with the rest following.
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361. The subject misplaced in questions.
❌Don't say: You were at the cinema yesterday? They'll come with us tomorrow?
✅Say: Were you at the cinema yesterday?
Will they come with us tomorrow?
In interrogative sentences place the subject after the verb. If the tense is compound, the subject comes after the auxiliary, and the rest follows.
Note: Exception to this rule is occasionally made in spoken English, but students are advised to follow the rule.
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362. The subject misplaced in questions beginning with an interrogative word.
❌Don't say: Why you were absent last Friday?
✅Say: Why were you absent last Friday?
In questions beginning with an interrogative word like: what, when, where, how, place the verb before the subject as in all questions.
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363. The subject misplaced after never, etc.
❌Don't say: Never I have heard of such a thing.
✅Say: Never have I heard of such a thing.
When never, seldom, rarely, neither, nor, not only, no sooner, are placed at the beginning of a complete clause, the verb must come before the subject as in a question.
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364. All... not used instead of Not all.
❌Don't say: All people are not hard-working.
✅Say: Not all people are hard-working.
The first sentence is wrong because it makes all people lazy.
Note: Similarly, Everybody doesn't like dancing should be: Not evory body likes dancing.
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365. The subject misplaced in indirect questions.
❌Don't say:The teacher asked me what games did I play?
✅Say: The teacher asked me what games I played.
In indirect questions follow the usual order of words: subject first and then verb.
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366. The direct object misplaced.
❌Don't say: He touched with his hand the ball.
✅Say: He touched the ball with his hand.
The object of a transitive verb generally comes directly after the verb.
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367. The indirect object misplaced.
❌Don't say: I showed to her some of my stamps.
✅Say: I showed some of my stamps to her.
If the indirect object is preceded by a preposition, place it after the direct object.
Note: The indirect object usually comes first without a preposition: I showed her some of my stamps.
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368. The qualifying adjective misplaced.
❌Don't say: My uncle has a garden very large.
✅Say: My uncle has a very large garden.
Put the adjective immediately before the noun, it qualifies.
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369. The past participle misplaced.
❌Don't say: The ordered goods haven't arrived.
✅Say: The goods ordered haven't arrived.
The goods ordered is a shortened form of The goods which have been ordered.
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370. The relative clause misplaced.
❌Don't say: A girl has a pony who is in our class.
✅Say: A girl who is in our class has a pony.
Put the relative clause immediately after the noun to which it refers.
Note: Enclose a relative clause that may be omitted between commas: My brother George, who is in another class, has a new bicycle.
A relative clause that can't be omitted is not enclosed within commas: The boy who spoke to me is my brother.
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371. The conjunction misplaced in a time clause.
❌Don't say: Emma when she arrived the boat had already gone.
✅Say: When Emma arrived the boat had already gone.
Place the conjunction introducing an adverbial clause of time at the beginning of a clause.
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372. Correlative conjunctions misplaced.
❌Don't say: Paul neither speaks English nor French.
✅Say: Paul speaks neither English nor French.
Place correlative conjunctions (that is, conjunctions used in pairs, like neither... nor, not only ... but also) before words of the same part of speech.
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373. The ordinal numeral misplaced.
❌Don't say: I've read the two first chapters.
✅Say: I've read the first two chapters.
Place ordinal numerals before cardinal numerals. There can't be two first chapters, only one.
Similarly, we must say: The last two (three, etc.), and not The two (three, etc.) last.
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374. The indefinite article misplaced with such.
❌Don't say: I never met a such good man before.
✅Say: I never met such a good man before.
Place the indefinite article "a" or "an" after "such": Such a good man.
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375. The definite article misplaced with "half".
❌Don't say: The half year is nearly finished.
✅Say: Half the year is nearly finished.
Half the year is shortened form of half of the year.
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376. "The most" used instead of "most of the".
❌Don't say: The most of girls are not present.
✅Say: Most of the girls are not present.
The phrase "the most of" is incorrect. Say: most of the.
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377. The apostrophe (') misplaced with contractions.
❌Don't write: Did'nt, has'nf, is'nt, are'nt, etc.
✅Write: Didn't, hasn't isn't, aren't, etc.
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378. Mentioning oneself first.
❌Don't say: Only I and my mother are present.
✅Say: Only my mother and I are present.
English idiom requires that when a person is speaking of himself/herself and others, he/she must mention the other person or persons first and leave himself/herself last.
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379. To and At.
(a) To.
❌Don't say: We come at school every morning.
✅Say: We come to school every morning.
(b) At.
❌Don't say: Someone is standing to the door.
✅Say: Someone is standing at the door.
Use "to" to express motion from one place to another, use "at" to denote position.
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380. To and Till.
(a) To.
❌Don't say: We walked till the river and back.
✅Say: We walked to the river and back.
(b) Till.
❌Don't say: I'll stay here to next month.
✅Say: I'll stay here till next month.
Use "to" with distance, and "till" (until) with time.
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381. In and At.
(a) In.
❌Don't say: Liam has a flat at Paris.
✅Say: Liam has a flat in Paris.
We use "in" to describe the physical location of something as part of a larger thing or place.
(b) At.
❌Don't say: My mother is staying in 66 Argyle Street.
✅Say: My mother is staying at 66 Argyle Street.
We use "at" when we're talking about an address, a public place or building (a bus stop, the Post Office, the library etc.) and cases in which the location is irrelevant but what we do there is what matters (school, the dentist, dance class etc).
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382. In and Into.
(a) In.
❌Don't say: Gemma spent all the day into her room.
✅Say: Gemma spent all the day in her room.
(b) Into.
❌Don't say: Richard came in the room and sat down.
✅Say: Richard came into the room and sat down.
"In" denotes position inside something, while "into" denotes motion or direction towards the inside of something.
Note: Always write the preposition "into" as one word.
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383. On, At, In. (Time.)
(a) On.
❌Don't say: My uncle will arrive at Saturday.
✅Say: My uncle will arrive on Saturday.
(b) At.
❌Don't say: I usually get up on seven o'clock.
✅Say: I usually get up at seven o'clock.
(c) In.
❌Don't say: She goes for a walk at the afternoon.
✅Say: She goes for a walk in the afternoon.
(1) Use "on" with the days of the week or month: on Friday, on March 25, on New Year's Day
(2) Use "at" with the exact time: at four o'clock, at dawn, at noon, at sunset, at midnight.
(3) Use "in" with a period of time in April, in winter, in 1945, in the morning
Also: at night and by day
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384. For and At. (Price.)
(a) For.
❌Don't say: I bought a book at fifty pence.
✅Say: I bought a book for fifty pence.
(b) At.
❌Don't say: I can't buy it for such a high price.
✅Say: I can't buy it at such a high price.
Use "for" if the actual sum is mentioned, use "at" if the actual sum isn't given.
Note: If the weight or measure follows the price, use "at" with the actual sum: That velvet is available at £5 a metre.
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385. Between and Among.
(a) Between.
❌Don't say: There was a fight among two boys.
✅Say: There was a fight between two boys.
(b) Among.
❌Don't say: Divide the apple between you three.
✅Say: Divide the apple among you three.
Use "between" for two only. Use "among" for more than two.
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386. Beside.
✖️Don't say: Charlie was standing just besides me.
✔️Say: Charlie was standing just beside me.
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387. Except for Besides/As well as
❌Don't say: I have other books except these.
✅Say: I have other hooks besides/as well as these (=in addition to these).
Note: Except means "leave out": Everyone is present except John.
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388. By for With.
❌Don't say: The man shot the bird by a gun.
✅Say: The man shot the bird with a gun.
When you want to show the means or the instrument with which the action is done use "with". "By" denotes the doer of the action: The bird was shot by the man.
Note: The following take "by" and not "with": by hand, by post, by phone, by one's watch, by the hour, by the dozen, by the meter.
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389. From for By.
❌Don't say: Mary was punished from her father.
✅Say: Mary was punished by her father.
Use "by" (not from)after the passive form to show the doer of the action.
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390. From for Of or In.
❌Don't say: He's the tallest from all the boys.
✅Say: He's the tallest of all the boys.
Or: He's the tallest boy in the class.
Precede adjectives (or adverbs) in the superlative degree by "the" and follow them by "of" or "in".
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391. For for About
❌Don't say: The teacher spoke for bad habits.
✅Say: The teacher spoke about bad habits.
Don't use "for" in the sense of "about". The chief use of "about" is to convey the idea of being in favour of. If we say that the teacher spoke for bad habits it's like saying that he/she spoke in favour of bad habits!
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392. Since for For.
❌Don't say: She's lived here since two years.
✅Say: She's lived here for two years.
Place the preposition "for" before words or phrases denoting a period of time: for three days, for six weeks, for two years, for a few minutes, for a long time. Use it with any tense except the present.
Note: "For" is often omitted. We can say: I've been here for two years or I've been here two years.
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393. From for Since.
❌Don't say: Ian's been ill from last Friday.
✅Say: Ian's been ill since last Friday.
Place the preposition "since" before words or phrases denoting a point in time: since Monday, since yesterday, since eight o'clock, since Christmas.
When we use since, the verb is usually in the present perfect tense, but it may be in the past perfect: I was glad to see Tom. I hadn't seen him since last Christmas.
Note: "From" can also denote a point in time, but it must be followed by "to" or "till": He works from eight o'clock till one o'clock without a break.
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394. After for In.
❌Don't say: I may be able to go after a week.
✅Say: I may be able to go in a week.
Or: I may be able to go in a week's time.
When speaking of a period of time in the future, use "in", and not "after". Here "in" means "after the end of".
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395. In for Within.
❌Don't say: I'll come back in an hour - if you mean before the end of an hour.
✅Say: I'll come back within an hour.
"In" means after the end of, "within" means before the end of.
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396. Shall and Will.
(a) To express simple futurity:
In the first person:
❌Don't say: I will go tomorrow if it's fine.
✅Say: I shall go tomorrow if it's fine.
In the second person:
❌Don't say: She tells me you shall go tomorrow.
✅Say: She tells me you will/'ll go tomorrow.
In the third person:
❌Don't say: He shall go if he has permission.
✅Say: He will/'ll go if he has permission.
(b) To express something more than simple futurity:
In the first person:
❌Don't say: I have determined that I shall go.
✅Say: I have determined that I will/'ll go.
In the second person:
❌Don't say: You will/'ll go out if you are good.
✅Say: You shall go out if you are good.
In the third person:
❌Don't say: My mind is made up: he will/'ll go.
✅Say: My mind is made up: he shall go.
To form the simple future, use "shall" with the first person and "will" with the second and third persons. "Will" in the first person denotes resolution or personal determination, and "shall" in the second and third persons denotes either a command or a promise.
Note: "Should", the past tense of "shall", and "would", the past tense of "will", have the same differences of meaning and use as the present forms "shall" and "will": I was afraid that I should fail. I promised that I would help him.
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397. Shall and May.
Distinguish between:
(a) May I shut the door? and (b) Shall I shut the door?
May I shut the door? Means that I wish the door closed and I ask your permission to shut it.
Shall I open the door? Means that I want to know whether you wish the door closed.
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398. Say and Tell.
❌Don't say: He told, 'I will/'ll go home.'
He told that he'd go home.
✅Say: He said, 'I will/'ll go home.'
He said that he'd go home.
Use "to say" (1) when referring to a person's actual words, and (2) in indirect speech if the sentence doesn't contain an indirect object.
Note: Common idioms with "say" and tell:
Say a prayer. Who says? I must say! You can say that again! If you say so!
Tell the truth. Tell a lie. Tell a story. Tell the time. Tell your fortune. Tell someone your name.
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399. Make and Do.
(a) Make
❌Don't say: The carpenter did a large table.
✅Say The carpenter made a large table.
(b) Do
❌Don't say: You must make your work carefully.
✅Say: You must do your work carefully.
"To make" primarily means to construct or manufacture something, while "to do" mean to accomplish a thing.
Note: Common exceptions with make and do:
(a) To make a mistake, to make a promise, to make a speech, to make an excuse, to make haste, to make fun of, to make progress, to make a noise, to make a bed(= to prepare the bed for sleeping on)
(b) To do good, to do evil, to do your best, to do your duty, to do someone a favour, to do wrong, to do a puzzle, to do business, to do away with, to do gymnastics, to do exercises.
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400. Lie and Lay.
(a) Lie
❌Don't say: I'm going to lay down for an hour.
✅Say: I'm going to lie down for an hour.
(b) Lay
❌Don't say: Please lie the exam papers on the desk.
✅Say: Please lay out the exam papers on the desk.
Lie (= to rest) is an intransitive verb and never has an object.
Lay (= to put) is a transitive verb and always requires an object.
Their principal parts are lie, lay, lain, and lay, laid, laid.
Note: Lie, lied, lied is to tell an untruth: He has lied to me. Lay, laid, laid also means to produce eggs: The hen has laid an egg.
(Idiom: Lay the table is to prepare the table for a meal.)
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