“Make a difference” means to change something for the better, to have a noticeable effect or to matter. We use it about a habit, an action or a person that makes a situation better. The negative form “make no difference” means “it doesn't matter” or “it's all the same”.
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make a difference (to + person/thing); make a big/real/huge difference; make no difference (to + person)
- Ten minutes of reading every evening made a huge difference to my vocabulary.
- Volunteers in our town make a difference by helping elderly neighbours with their shopping.
- It makes no difference to me whether we meet on Monday or Tuesday.
What changed
First versionRegular feedback from a teacher can make big difference.
RevisionRegular feedback from a teacher can make a big difference.
The article “a” is easy to drop, but this expression needs it. It stays even when an adjective comes before “difference”: “make a big difference”. The expression appears without “a” only when another word takes its place: “make no difference”, “make any difference”, “make all the difference”.
“Make a change” simply means to change something, without saying whether the result is good: “We made a change to the timetable.” “Make a difference” is about a noticeable effect, usually a positive one: “The new timetable made a big difference.” “Have an impact” is also about influence, but it can describe bad consequences too.
Your turn
Since I started going to bed before midnight, I concentrate much better at work. The change has ___.
Show the answer
made a real difference — Concentration has clearly improved, so the change helped: “made a real difference”. “Made no difference” would mean that nothing changed.
Write about a small habit that has helped you in your studies or at work. Name the habit and say what exactly has improved.
Writing a short to-do list every morning has made a big difference: I no longer forget small tasks at work.
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