ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnerverbnoun
MadevsMaid
'Made' is the past tense of 'to make'; 'maid' is a female domestic worker or an unmarried woman.
Side-by-side comparison
Made
verb"Made" is the past tense and past participle of "make": to create, produce, or prepare. "She made a cake" = she baked a cake. "Made of wood" = constructed from wood.
She made a strong impression at the board presentation.
The decision was made unanimously after a long discussion.
This jacket is made of recycled materials.
Maid
noun"Maid" is a female domestic worker or hotel room attendant. Historically also a young unmarried woman. "Maid of honor" = the chief bridesmaid at a wedding.
The hotel maid knocked before entering to clean the room.
She worked as a maid for three years to save money for university.
The maid of honour stood beside the bride throughout the ceremony.
Common mistake
- •"The hotel maid cleaned the room" (correct).
- •"She made the bed" (correct, past of make).
- •Confusing them in fast writing is easy: "made" is the past of make; "maid" is the domestic worker.
Trick to remember it
- •"Made" has ADE like "blade" and "grade", things that are formed.
- •"Maid" has AID like "aid" and "braid", things that help or serve.
Quick rule
- •Is it the past of to make? "Made".
- •Is it the domestic worker or attendant? "Maid".
Did you know?
"Maid of honor" is the title of the chief bridesmaid accompanying the bride at a wedding. Historically, it referred to an unmarried noblewoman (maiden) attending a queen or princess at court. The words "maid" and "maiden" (virgin, unmarried woman) share the same Anglo-Saxon root. In English cricket, a "maiden over" (a set of six deliveries with no runs scored) uses this same sense of "pure, unblemished", a perfectly clean turn. In English pastry, "maids of honour" are small puff pastry tarts with almond cream, supposedly invented at Hampton Court during the Tudor reign.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The hotel room was cleaned by the _____ every morning.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She _____ a beautiful birthday cake for her daughter.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
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One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
AdvicevsAdvise
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
AffectvsEffect
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
AislevsIsle
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy