The Versatility of "Make" with Particles: A Deep Dive


Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to explore the incredibly versatile verb "make" when combined with various particles like for, out, and up. Understanding these combinations is key to unlocking more natural and nuanced English communication.


"Make up" - Forming, Inventing, and Deceiving


Let's start with "make up." This phrasal verb has a few distinct meanings:

  • To form the whole of something: When something is "made up of" certain components, it means those components constitute the entire entity.

    • For example: "Over 30% of the university population is made up of overseas students." This tells us that overseas students account for a significant portion of the university's student body.

  • To invent something: This is often used when talking about creating stories, games, or excuses.

    • Consider this: "Sally didn’t want to go to the concert, so she made up an excuse about being ill." Here, Sally invented a reason to avoid the concert.

    • Similarly, "The children loved Uncle Bob because he was so good at making up new games" shows his creativity in inventing new activities.

  • To say or write something untrue to deceive: This meaning is closely related to inventing, but with the specific intention to mislead.

    • While not explicitly in our text for this specific usage, it's important to remember that making something up can also mean lying.


"Make for" - Heading in a Direction


Next, we have "make for." This simply means to go in the direction of something or somewhere. It implies movement towards a specific destination.

  • An excellent example is: "When we got to the park, the children made for the swings while I sat on a bench." The children immediately moved towards the swings.


"Make out" - Perception and Comprehension


"Make out" is another fascinating phrasal verb with a couple of important uses:

  • To see or hear something/someone with difficulty: This implies a struggle to perceive something clearly.

    • For instance: "Can you make out the words of this song?" This suggests the words are unclear, perhaps due to poor audio or a strong accent.

    • It's important to note that this meaning, along with the next two, is often used with "can" or "could" in negative sentences and typically not in the passive voice.

      • "I couldn’t make out a word he was saying."

  • To understand why someone behaves as they do: This refers to grasping someone's motivations or personality.

    • "Jack is behaving very strangely at the moment. I just can’t make him out." This means you can't understand his current behavior.

  • To understand something, especially why something has happened: This refers to comprehending a situation or event.

    • "I can’t make out why my computer won’t let me save this document." Here, you're unable to understand the reason for the computer's malfunction.


The Noun "Make-up"


Before we move on, let's briefly touch upon the noun make-up. While most of you probably know it as cosmetics (e.g., "My sister never goes out without any make-up on"), it also has another meaning derived from the verb "make up."

  • The combination of things that form something: This refers to the composition or structure of something.

    • A great example is: "The class has an interesting make-up, with students from three continents and twelve different countries." This describes the diverse composition of the class.


"Make up for" - Compensating and Amends


Finally, we have the two-particle phrasal verb "make up for." This is used when you want to compensate for something.

  • To provide something good to make a bad situation better: This means to offset a negative aspect with a positive one.

    • "The wonderful food in the restaurant made up for the rather uncomfortable seats." The delicious food compensated for the uncomfortable seating.

  • To do something good for someone you've wronged, or for someone who has done good for you: This implies making amends or showing appreciation.

    • "I forgot Teresa’s birthday yesterday so I'll have to make it up to her." This means you'll do something nice for Teresa to compensate for forgetting her birthday.

As you can see, "make" combined with these particles creates a rich tapestry of meanings. By understanding these distinctions, you'll be able to express yourselves with greater precision and fluency. Keep practicing these in your conversations and writing, and you'll master them in no time!

Are there any questions about these uses of "make" with particles?