Irregular verb
The verb to make
make → made → made
A1Meaning: to create or produce something; to cause something to happen · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 10 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they make·he/she/it makes - Past Simple:
made - Past participle:
made(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
making(without the final e)
Conjugation of the verb to make
Present Simple
| I | make |
| You | make |
| He / She / It | makes |
| We | make |
| You (pl.) | make |
| They | make |
Present Perfect
| I | have made | I've made |
| You | have made | You've made |
| He / She / It | has made | He's / She's / It's made |
| We | have made | We've made |
| You (pl.) | have made | You've made |
| They | have made | They've made |
All the forms of the verb to make
Present Simple
Full pagemake / makes
“I make a cake every Sunday.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are making
“I am making a cake right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagemade
“She made a chocolate cake.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were making
“I was making a cake when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has made
“I have made a chocolate cake. She has made a decision.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad made
“She had already made a cake when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill make
“I will make a cake tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to make
“I'm going to make a cake this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould make
“I would make a cake if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to make
1. Making something (creating a result)
- She makes cakes for a living.
- They made a movie about climate change.
2. Making someone feel or do something
Make + person + adjective, or make + person + base form of the verb (without to).
- This music makes me happy.
- You always make me laugh.
3. Common expressions with make
In these expressions, English uses make. Make money means to earn money, make friends means to find new friends and make sense means to be easy to understand.
- make a mistake
- make a decision
- make money
- make friends
- make a noise
- make sense
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I make sport ❌
Make is for creating something: make a cake, make a decision. Do is for an activity or a task: do sport, do your homework. A very common mistake is I make my homework. Say I do my homework.
2. Makeing ❌
The -ing form drops the final e: make → making, never makeing. This is the general rule for verbs that end in a silent -e.
3. You make me to laugh ❌
When make means to cause someone to do something, use the base form of the verb without to: You make me laugh, not You make me to laugh.
Going further
Conjugating to make is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
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Practise on PLAYYou can conjugate to make. Now say it out loud.
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For teachersReady-made activities to practise to make in class
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Related pages: make
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between make and do?+
Use make when you create or produce something new: make a cake, make a film. Use do for an activity or a task: do your homework, do sport, do the dishes. So say I do my homework, never I make my homework.
What is the past simple of make?+
The Past Simple of make is made, the same for every person: I made, she made, they made. The past participle is also made. Make → made → made.
How do you use make + adjective?+
Say It makes me happy. The pattern is make + person + adjective, and it shows the effect of something on a person. With a verb, there is no to after make: It makes me laugh, not It makes me to laugh.
What are common expressions with make?+
Here are some very common ones: make a mistake (do something wrong), make a decision (decide), make money (earn money), make friends (find new friends), make sense (be easy to understand), make a noise and make a phone call.
Why is making spelled without e?+
When a verb ends in a silent -e, the e drops before -ing: make → making, come → coming, write → writing. It is a common spelling rule. You do not double the consonant and you do not keep the e.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/make
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.