What Does “Make up for doing sth” Mean?
“Make up for doing sth” means to compensate or correct a mistake or loss caused by an action. It is often used to show that someone tries to fix a problem by doing something positive.
Introduction
The phrase “make up for doing sth” is a common phrasal verb in English that means to compensate for a previous action or mistake. When you make up for something, you are trying to balance out a negative effect by doing something good or helpful. Understanding the make up for doing sth meaning helps learners use this phrase naturally in conversations and writing. It is often used when someone wants to apologize or improve a situation after causing harm or inconvenience. This phrase is useful in many contexts, such as work, relationships, and daily life. Knowing how to use it correctly will improve your communication skills and help you express yourself clearly.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: make up for doing something
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to compensate for a mistake or loss
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Make up for” is an inseparable phrasal verb, meaning you cannot separate “make up” and “for” by inserting other words between them.
Common grammatical patterns include:
- make up for + noun/pronoun (e.g., make up for the mistake)
- make up for + doing something (e.g., make up for being late)
Example: She tried to make up for missing the meeting by working late.
How to Use “Make up for doing sth”?
You use “make up for doing sth” to show that you are correcting or balancing out something negative you did. For example, if you forgot a friend’s birthday, you might make up for it by giving a gift or spending extra time with them. It often implies an effort to fix a situation or improve feelings after a wrong action.
Examples
Imagine you missed an important event. You might want to make up for doing something wrong. Here are some examples:
- He made up for arriving late by helping with the cleanup.
- She tried to make up for forgetting the appointment by calling immediately.
- We can make up for the lost time by working extra hours today.
- They made up for the mistake by offering a discount to customers.
- John made up for missing the game by practicing harder next week.
These examples show make up for doing sth in a sentence used naturally.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse the structure or use the phrase incorrectly. For example:
- Incorrect: I make up doing late.
- Correct: I make up for being late.
- Incorrect: She made up the mistake.
- Correct: She made up for the mistake.
Remember, the phrase always includes “for” after “make up”.
Differences / Synonyms
“Make up for” is similar to phrases like “compensate for” or “atone for.” However, “make up for” is more commonly used in everyday conversation and can sound less formal.
- Compensate for: Often used in formal or business contexts.
- Atone for: Usually used when referring to correcting moral or serious mistakes.
- Make up for: Used broadly for any kind of compensation or correction.
For example, “She made up for her mistake by apologizing” sounds more natural in daily speech than “She atoned for her mistake.”
Common Collocations
“Make up for” often pairs with specific nouns or actions that show what is being compensated for. Common collocations include:
- make up for lost time – to recover time that was wasted
- make up for mistakes – to fix errors
- make up for being late – to compensate for tardiness
- make up for damage – to repair harm or loss
- make up for forgetting – to correct forgetting something important
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of make up for doing sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here’s a short conversation using “make up for doing sth”:
Anna: Sorry I missed your birthday party.
Ben: It’s okay. How will you make up for it?
Anna: I’ll take you out for dinner this weekend to make up for it.
Practice
Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of “make up for”:
- She forgot our meeting, but she promised to ________ it by working late.
- We need to ________ the lost time after the delay.
- He bought flowers to ________ being rude yesterday.
FAQs
- Q: Can “make up for” be used with verbs?
A: Yes, you can say “make up for doing something,” like “make up for being late.” - Q: Is “make up for” formal or informal?
A: It is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. - Q: What is the difference between “make up” and “make up for”?
A: “Make up” can mean to invent or reconcile, while “make up for” means to compensate. - Q: Can “make up for” be separated?
A: No, “make up for” is inseparable. - Q: Is “make up for” always about mistakes?
A: Mostly, but it can also refer to compensating for any loss or lack.
