Complete English Grammar Rules_ Examples, Exceptions, Exercises, and Everything You Need to Master Proper Grammar ( PDFDrive )-259

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Common	Light	Verbs
Unfortunately,	the	only	way	to	become	familiar	with	the	various	meanings	and
uses	of	light	verbs	is	to	study	them	in	a	dictionary	or	to	come	across	them	in
day-to-day	speech	and	writing.
Below,	we’ll	look	at	some	examples	using	four	particularly	common	light	verbs
that	have	a	variety	of	different	meanings—do,	make,	get,	and	take.	Each
sentence	will	be	accompanied	by	an	explanation	of	the	light	verb’s	meaning.
Do
Do	is	used	for	general	actions;	these	actions	are	dictated	by	the	word	or	words
that	follow	do.
•	“You	can	play	if	you	do	your	homework.”	(finish	or	complete	your
homework)
•	“Will	you	please	do	the	dishes?”	(wash	the	dishes)
•	“Will	you	please	do	the	washing	up?”	(This	is	a	British	English	expression
with	the	same	meaning	as	“do	the	dishes.”)
•	“I	hope	you	do	well	on	your	exam.”	(perform	well;	in	this	context,	do	relies	on
an	adverb	for	its	meaning)
•	“He	was	always	willing	to	do	someone	a	favor.”	(give	or	perform	a	favor)
•	“My	husband	always	does	the	cooking.”	(prepare	and	cook	food)
•	“I’m	trying	to	avoid	doing	the	ironing.”	(iron	clothes)
•	“John,	will	you	do	the	dusting?”	(clean	the	dust	from	the	furniture	and	around
the	house)
•	“It	always	falls	on	me	to	do	the	housework.”	(clean	and	tidy	up	around	the
house)
•	“She	has	to	do	her	hair	before	we	go.”	(style	her	hair)
•	“I	hope	you	can	continue	to	do	business	together.”	(engage	in	or	perform
business	activities)
Make
As	a	light	verb,	make	carries	the	general	meaning	of	“create”	or	“assemble”;	the
specific	meaning	comes	from	what	accompanies	the	verb.