To make a change means to alter something or to make an edit. Its second common meaning is about life: I needed to make a change means “I needed to do something different”, such as changing jobs or moving to a new city.
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make a change / changes to + plan/text; make changes in + life/habits; make a change (= start doing something different)
- I made a few changes to the report after my manager's comments.
- After ten years in sales, she felt she needed to make a change and retrained as a nurse.
What changed
First versionWe need to do some changes to the timetable.
RevisionWe need to make some changes to the timetable.
Do can seem right, since you are doing something to the timetable. But change goes with make: make a change, make changes. The thing you are changing is introduced with to: changes to the timetable.
Make a difference doesn't mean “make a change”; it means to have a noticeable effect or to help. Compare: I made a change to my diet (I changed what I eat) and Regular exercise made a difference to my sleep (exercise clearly improved my sleep).
Your turn
Our teacher asked us to ___ at least three changes to our essays before submitting them.
Show the answer
make — Change works with make: make three changes to our essays. Do changes may look logical, but native speakers don't say it.
Write about one change to your daily routine in the past year. Say what you changed and what the result was.
Last year I made a change to my morning routine: I stopped checking my phone before breakfast, and now I feel calmer at work.
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