PHRASAL VERBS CONNECTED WITH ‘MAKE’

PHRASAL VERBS CONNECTED WITH ‘MAKE’

          Do you know how to make starch, how to make pounded-yam, how to make pap, etc?  How many journeys have you made in your life? Can you make a good list of office items or of household items? 

          All the above questions and the actions embedded in them are connected with the word ‘make’.  No doubt, ‘make’ is an action which we all take everyday, and also a word which we all use everyday in various ways. With such frequency of application and usage, the word ‘make’ is aptly surrounded by many phrasal verbs.

          Let us now discuss some of the phrasal verbs that surround ‘make’, in this article.

(1)       Make for (Somewhere/Something)     Or 

            Make Towards (Something/Somebody)

Meaning:        

i.                   To go in the direction of a place or thing.

ii.                 To go in the direction of something or someone.

iii.              To make something possible or to result in success.

Examples:

(i)                The students made for the library after their lectures early this morning.

(ii)             Omamoroni made towards the taxi, but turned back on hearing the cry of her baby.

(iii)           ‘Would you make for Port Harcourt during the next long vacation’? Emmanuel asked his friend, Tony.

(iv)           Good communication between spouses makes for successful marriage.

(2)       Make (something) into (something)

Meaning:        

To change something into another thing or to turn one thing into another thing.

Examples:

(i)                The proficient carpenter has made my old table into a bench.

(ii)             The bricklayer has assured me that he will make our store into a bed-sitter room.

(iii)           Who could make the unused curtains into working clothes?

(3)             Make off

Meaning:        

To leave a place quickly, or hurry away in order to escape.

Examples:

(i)                Peter, who came to school late this morning, made off on sighting the vice-principal.

(ii)             The hoodlums made off when they heard the siren of the police patrol vehicle.

(iii)           The burglars ran into the hands of a vigilante group as they were making off.

(4)             Make off with (something)

Meaning:        

To steal.

Examples:

(i)                Joanna made off with Patricia’s cell-phone while she was sleeping.

(ii)             Commuters who board commercial tricycles (keke) are strongly advised to be always vigilant so that pick-pockets will not make off with their valuables.

(iii)           Con-men and cyber-criminals easily make off with money from unwary persons.

(5)             Make (something) up

Meaning:        

i.                 To invent something, such as an excuse or a story, especially in order      to trick or entertain.

ii.               To prepare or arrange something by putting different things together.

iii.            To produce or prepare something from cloth.

To arrange text and pictures in the form in which they will be printed on a page, in a book or in a newspaper.

iv.            To prepare i.e. put sheets and covers on a bed for use, or to create a           temporary bed for someone to sleep.

v.               To make an amount of something complete or correct.

vi.  To reduce or replace something, usually an amount of time or work,        that has been lost.

Examples:

(i)                Patrick, the lazy student, made up a pretext of sickness for not doing his homework.

(ii)             The children always come around Ogbesia as he is fond of making up ‘Ogiso and Tortoise’ stories for them.

(iii)           The safety officer was asked to make up a box of first aid items for the construction crew.

(iv)           Umuto is arranging to make up anti-Malaria concoction from various leaves, for her sick mother.

(v)             Akpevwe says he can make up a small shirt from the left-over pieces of cloths.

(vi)           The production crew of The Urhobo Voice is skilful at making up the newspaper’s pages, even with last-minute adjustments.

(vii)        The use of computer has enhanced the process of making up book pages these days.

(viii)      Avwebo quickly made up a bed for her father-in-law as soon she noticed that he was dozing.

(ix)           Owing to lack of space, Jehoshaphat made up a bed on the sofa for his guest.

(x)             The money I have for the encyclopaedia is insufficient, but I hope to make it up next month.

(xi)            Uncle James has promised making up the school fees of his nephew, Oniovosa.

(xii)        Miss Roseline Okoro, who missed work for one day last, was asked to make it up this week by working overtime for two days.

(6)           Make (Oneself/Somebody) up

Meaning:

To put cosmetics on your face/body or on another person's face/body, so as to enhance or change the appearance.

Examples:                                                                                                      

(i)                Omotebranama takes a long time to make up every morning.

(ii)             In one recent comedy film, Mr. Ibu was made up as a pregnant woman.

(iii)           The way some ladies make up their faces these days, creates weirdness in their appearances.

(7)           Make up

Meaning:

To forgive someone/persons and be friendly with them again after an argument or a disagreement.

Examples:

(i)                Mrs. Ogbiphri, who suddenly moved out of her matrimonial home last week, has been advised to make up with her husband.

(ii)             Chief Oduduru of PDP and Chief Emeka of APC who have been political opponents, are now trying to make up so as to benefit from the new administration.

(iii)           Emmanuel and Emmanuella, whose courtship suffered a setback recently, have been advised by their parents to make up and forge ahead.