Verbs Make x Do

                  

The most common problem for the students from the English language is to define the differences between these verbs, mostly when both have the same meaning like make and do. The secret to understand these verbs is not to think of them as in Portuguese, but to memorize them as a word or expression that you learned before. When I say "memorize" I'm not suggesting you to decorate a list of expressions with them, it's just the contact with the language through magazines, books, songs, movies and etc that will make you assimilate these words.

Actually,there are no rules for the use of them, but usually do means to "perform" or "complete an action" and it is used with nouns referring to jobs connected with the home, while make generally means "to create, manufacture, prepare" and it is used with nouns referring to:

- plans: arrangement, choice, decision, plan

- traveling: journey, tour, trip, visit

- talking and sounds: comment, enquiry, noise, promise, remark, sound, speech, suggestion.

But remember that these nouns are not exactly a rule for the usage of make and do, but they are usually conected with them.

Well, that's all! ;)

Past Tense

 Simple Past

Hoje vou falar do passado nos pontos gramaticais aqui do blog. No último post sobre gramática expliquei um pouco sobre o presente, e hoje é sobre o  passado simples.

Today I'm going to talk about the past tense on the grammar points in the blog. At the last post, I explained a little bit about the simple present, so today It's about the past tense.

Usamos o passado simples para falar de ações e situações que vemos como completas no passado.

We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the past.

Podemos usá-lo para falar de um ponto específico no passado.
We can use it to talk about an specific point in time.

•She came back last Friday.

•I saw her on the street.

•They didn't agree to the deal.

Também pode ser usado para falar de um período de tempo.

It can also be used to talk about a period of time.

•She lived in Tokyo for seven years.

•They were in London from Monday to Thursday last week.

Você irá muitas vezes achar o passado simples em uso com expressões de tempo tais como:

You will often find the past simple used with time expressions such as these:

•Yesterday

•three weeks ago

•last year

•for a long time

•in the last century

•in the past


Here are some exercises about the past tense:


Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4

SIMPLE PRESENT: DO/DOES – Usado para o que exatamente?

Este é o meu primeiro post sobre gramática aqui no blog, logo irei começar por algo básico: o Presente Simples.

This is my first post about English Grammar here in the blog, so I’m going to start with something basic: The Simple Present.



Simple Present:
- Expressa ações, fatos habituais do presente, e geralmente vem seguido de expressões como every day, today, tonight, usually, always, entre outras.
•I always eat fish on Mondays.
•They work every day.

- Usamos o presente simples para falar sobre ações que vemos em longo prazo ou permanente. Este é um tempo verbal bem comum e também muito importante.
We use the present simple to talk about actions we see as long term or permanent. It is a very common and very important tense.

- Aqui, é usado para falar de ações regulares ou eventos.
Here, we are talking about regular actions or events.
•They drive to the office every day.
•She doesn't come here very often.
•The news usually starts at 6.00 every evening.
•Do you usually have bacon and eggs for breakfast?

Para falar de fatos:
To talk about facts
•We have two children.
•Water freezes at 0° C or 32° F.
•What does this expression mean?

Aqui usamos para falar de fatos futuros, geralmente encontrados em um cronograma ou quadro.
Here, we are talking about future facts, usually found in a timetable or a chart.
•Christmas Day is on  Monday this year.
•The plane leaves at 5.00 tomorrow morning.
•Does the class begin at 10 or 11 this week?

Aqui usamos para falar de pensamentos ou sentimentos no momento da fala. Embora estes sentimentos possam ser de curto prazo, usamos o presente simples, e não o presente contínuo.
Here, we are talking about our thoughts and feelings at the time of speaking. Although these feelings can be short-term, we use the present simple and not the present continuous.

•They don't ever agree with us.
•I think you are right.
•She doesn't want you to do it.
•Do you understand what I am trying to say?

Exercícios sobre o Simple Present:

Exercício 1
Exercício 2