If you’re learning English, you’ve probably noticed how often the word “do” appears. But it’s not always used on its own. In fact, “do” is one of the most common verbs in collocations—natural word combinations that English speakers use every day without even thinking.
In this guide, we’ll break down 210 common collocations with do—from beginner-friendly phrases like “do homework” to advanced expressions like “do justice” or “do away with.” We’ll also explain the meanings, give real examples, and show you how to sound more natural and fluent in conversations.
What Is a Collocation with “Do”?
A collocation is a pair or group of words that often go together. A collocation with “do” means that the verb “do” is commonly used with another word—usually a noun or pronoun—to create a natural phrase.
For example:
Even though both “do” and “make” are action verbs, only “do” sounds right in this context.
Why Learn Collocations with “Do”?
- You’ll sound more natural and fluent.
- You’ll avoid common grammar mistakes.
- You’ll understand native English speakers better.
- You’ll improve both your speaking and writing skills.
Common Patterns with “Do”
- Do + work/study task – do homework, do research
- Do + household chores – do the dishes, do laundry
- Do + good/bad things – do good, do harm
- Do + pronoun (your/my/their) – do your best, do my job
- Do + abstract noun – do justice, do damage
Let’s break these down in detailed lists.
Collocations with “Do” (Work & Study)
These are perfect for students, office workers, and anyone involved in learning or tasks.
Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
do homework | complete assignments | I need to do my homework before dinner. |
do work | perform job tasks | He usually does his work in the evening. |
do a task | complete a specific job | She was asked to do a task quickly. |
do a project | work on a large assignment | We’re doing a science project at school. |
do research | investigate or study | They’re doing research on climate change. |
do an analysis | analyze something | He did an analysis of the sales report. |
do calculations | solve math problems | Can you do the calculations for me? |
do an experiment | conduct a scientific test | We did an experiment on plant growth. |
do a course | take part in educational training | I’m doing a course in digital marketing. |
do your studies | complete academic work | She should do her studies more seriously. |
Collocations with “Do” (Household Chores)
Use these when talking about cleaning, chores, and housework.
Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
do the dishes | wash dirty plates | I’ll do the dishes after dinner. |
do the laundry | wash and dry clothes | He’s doing the laundry right now. |
do the ironing | press clothes with an iron | I hate doing the ironing. |
do the vacuuming | vacuum the floors | She does the vacuuming every Sunday. |
do housework | general cleaning tasks | We all share the housework. |
do the cleaning | clean the house | It’s your turn to do the cleaning. |
do chores | complete routine household tasks | Kids should do their chores regularly. |
do the gardening | tend to plants and garden | I enjoy doing the gardening in spring. |
do the shopping | buy groceries | Let’s do the shopping before it gets dark. |
do repairs | fix things around the house | He needs to do some repairs in the garage. |
Collocations with “Do” (Personal Actions & Daily Life)
These collocations describe everyday actions we take.
Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
do your best | try as hard as you can | Just do your best and don’t worry. |
do your hair | style your hair | I need 10 minutes to do my hair. |
do your makeup | apply makeup | She’s doing her makeup for the party. |
do your nails | paint or clean your nails | Let’s do our nails together! |
do business | conduct business transactions | We’ll do business with them in the future. |
do exercise | work out | I do exercise every morning. |
do your duty | fulfill your responsibility | You must do your duty, even when it’s tough. |
do your job | perform work responsibilities | He failed to do his job properly. |
do time | serve a prison sentence | He did time for theft. |
do favors | help someone | Could you do me a favor and close the window? |
Collocations with “Do” (Mental & Emotional Effort)
Use these collocations when talking about thinking, understanding, or emotional actions.
Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
do your thinking | take time to consider | I need some space to do my thinking. |
do meditation | practice calming your mind | She does meditation every morning. |
do visualization | imagine something mentally | Athletes often do visualization before events. |
do therapy | attend mental health sessions | He’s doing therapy to manage stress. |
do your part | contribute to a shared goal | Please do your part to protect the environment. |
do self-reflection | examine your thoughts or feelings | I spent the evening doing self-reflection. |
Collocations with “Do” (Negative Actions)
Here’s where “do” shows up in contexts where something harmful, wrong, or unpleasant is happening.
Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
do harm | cause damage | That law could do harm to small businesses. |
do damage | physically or mentally ruin something | The fire did serious damage to the factory. |
do wrong | behave badly or immorally | He knows he did wrong and apologized. |
do evil | commit wicked actions | They were accused of doing evil. |
do drugs | take illegal substances | He was caught doing drugs. |
do a disservice | harm someone’s reputation or chance | You’re doing yourself a disservice by lying. |
do away with | get rid of, abolish | We need to do away with outdated rules. |
Advanced Collocations with “Do”
For upper-intermediate and advanced learners who want to sound like native speakers.
Collocation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
do justice | represent or perform something fairly | That photo doesn’t do justice to her beauty. |
do wonders | produce amazing results | A vacation would do wonders for your health. |
do the trick | work successfully | This medicine should do the trick. |
do the honors | perform a duty as a gesture | Would you do the honors and cut the cake? |
do the rounds | go from place to place | The rumor is doing the rounds again. |
do a double take | look again in surprise | I did a double take when I saw the price. |
do your bit | contribute to a bigger cause | Everyone must do their bit to save energy. |
do your utmost | try your absolute hardest | I’ll do my utmost to make it work. |
do battle (with) | fight or argue with someone/something | They did battle with the court for years. |
do penance | show remorse for wrongdoing | He did penance by volunteering at shelters. |
Quick List of 210 Collocations with Do
Here’s a fast-access list. Many of these were explained above:
- do homework
- do business
- do a favor
- do the dishes
- do the laundry
- do housework
- do your best
- do a job
- do research
- do a task
- do a project
- do damage
- do well
- do badly
- do good
- do harm
- do a service
- do the cleaning
- do your duty
- do exercise
- do a workout
- do your makeup
- do your nails
- do the shopping
- do the ironing
- do a report
- do time (in prison)
- do a deal
- do a dance
- do an experiment
- do the cooking
- do a presentation
- do chores
- do your hair
- do your part
- do your share
- do your homework
- do yoga
- do martial arts
- do the accounts
- do your taxes
- do paperwork
- do the math
- do a drawing
- do a painting
- do a sketch
- do some writing
- do a favor for
- do your job
- do overtime
- do volunteer work
- do charity work
- do a good job
- do your bit
- do your duty
- do your part
- do the trick
- do damage to
- do your rounds
- do the paperwork
- do the groundwork
- do a course
- do an exam
- do a test
- do a check
- do your chores
- do your exercises
- do a clean-up
- do the floors
- do the vacuuming
- do some stretching
- do house chores
- do some gardening
- do a backflip
- do your nails
- do the filing
- do the dishes after dinner
- do the windows
- do a double take
- do your own thing
- do more
- do less
- do enough
- do something
- do nothing
- do anything
- do everything
- do your revision
- do your duty as a citizen
- do an internship
- do training
- do better
- do worse
- do your hair up
- do a background check
- do the talking
- do the paperwork yourself
- do the right thing
- do the wrong thing
- do your research
- do your revision
- do a number on
- do the exam
- do the introduction
- do the rest
- do the same
- do a stretch
- do sit-ups
- do squats
- do a flip
- do a dive
- do a stunt
- do magic
- do mime
- do impressions
- do a makeover
- do someone a favor
- do someone proud
- do someone wrong
- do your best work
- do the dirty work
- do the job right
- do a headcount
- do an audit
- do a budget
- do an inventory
- do due diligence
- do the accounts manually
- do your civic duty
- do an analysis
- do a case study
- do a write-up
- do a review
- do a forecast
- do a survey
- do a breakdown
- do an estimate
- do the logistics
- do a write-up
- do a summary
- do a write-off
- do some digging
- do research on
- do the translation
- do proofreading
- do editing
- do a voiceover
- do narration
- do dubbing
- do acting
- do directing
- do production
- do costume design
- do lighting
- do sound check
- do a sound test
- do a tech check
- do repairs
- do restoration
- do maintenance
- do upgrades
- do renovations
- do home improvements
- do yard work
- do the plumbing
- do electrical work
- do landscaping
- do interior design
- do drywall
- do roofing
- do floor installation
- do tile work
- do upholstery
- do some patching
- do errands
- do logistics
- do procurement
- do data entry
- do the schedule
- do interviews
- do hiring
- do firing
- do onboarding
- do planning
- do consulting
- do training sessions
- do performance reviews
- do risk assessments
- do reporting
- do evaluations
- do quality checks
- do feasibility study
- do SWOT analysis
- do market research
- do customer service
- do follow-up
- do billing
- do support
- do analysis on trends
- do your rounds (medical)
- do patient check-ups
- do surgery
- do first aid
- do blood work
- do scans
- do X-rays
- do physicals
- do dental work
- do counseling
- do therapy
Final Thoughts
If you want to sound fluent in English, learning collocations is a powerful tool—and collocations with “do” are everywhere. From basic phrases like “do the dishes” to business expressions like “do analysis” or idioms like “do justice”, these combos are part of everyday conversations.
So, keep practicing, pay attention to how native speakers use them, and start using them in your own speaking and writing. You’ll not only avoid awkward mistakes—you’ll sound a whole lot more natural. After done with these collocations, read out 350 most common collocations in English.