“Make an effort” means to try hard and put energy into doing something. We use it about actions that take effort or go against habit: getting up earlier, staying polite with a difficult client, speaking only English in a lesson.
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make an effort + to + verb; make every effort + to + verb; make no effort + to + verb
- I made an effort to speak only English during the lesson.
- The hotel staff made every effort to find my lost passport.
- My neighbour always makes an effort to say hello, even when he's in a hurry.
What changed
First versionI did an effort to finish the report before lunch.
RevisionI made an effort to finish the report before lunch.
Many learners reach for “do” here, but with “effort” English uses “make”: “make an effort”, “make every effort”. The action itself comes next as “to + verb”: “made an effort to finish”.
To say what you put your energy into, “put effort into” works better: “She put a lot of effort into the presentation.” “Make an effort” is usually followed by a verb: “make an effort to arrive early”.
Your turn
The new manager is making an effort ___ everyone's name in her first week.
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to learn — After “make an effort”, the aim is expressed with “to + verb”: “to learn”. “For learning” is not how this expression is built.
Write about a habit you find hard to keep up. Say what exactly you try to do and how often.
I make an effort to read ten pages in English every evening, even when I'm tired.
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