Phrasal Verb: 'Make up for' (Compensate)
Use 'make up for' to restore balance when something negative is cancelled out by something positive.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Use it to balance a negative with a positive.
- Always keep 'make', 'up', and 'for' together.
- It requires an object to complete the thought.
- Commonly used for lost time, mistakes, or deficits.
Quick Reference
| Context | Example Sentence | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| Work/Business | The high salary `makes up for` the stress. | Balancing a pro and a con. |
| Personal/Social | I'll `make up for` missing your party soon. | Fixing a social mistake. |
| Time/Efficiency | We must `make up for` lost time today. | Recovering a wasted resource. |
| Quality/Skill | Her passion `makes up for` her lack of skill. | One trait covering a weakness. |
| Customer Service | The discount `made up for` the cold food. | Correcting a service failure. |
| Travel/Delay | The view `made up for` the long hike. | The reward justifies the effort. |
Exemplos-chave
3 de 8The great food `made up for` the tiny apartment.
La excelente comida compensó el pequeño apartamento.
He is trying to `make up for` being so rude.
Él está tratando de compensar el haber sido tan grosero.
No amount of money can `make up for` that loss.
Ninguna cantidad de dinero puede compensar esa pérdida.
The Balance Scale Analogy
Think of a scale. The negative event is on one side. Your 'make up for' action is the weight you add to the other side to level it.
Don't Split the Trio
Never put words between 'up' and 'for'. It's a package deal. 'Make up for the delay' is correct; 'Make up the delay for' is not.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Use it to balance a negative with a positive.
- Always keep 'make', 'up', and 'for' together.
- It requires an object to complete the thought.
- Commonly used for lost time, mistakes, or deficits.
Overview
Life is messy. We all make mistakes. Sometimes we arrive late. Sometimes we forget a birthday. You need a way to fix things. You need to balance the scales. This is where make up for shines. It is a linguistic tool for restoration. It acts like a cosmic balance sheet. You add something good to cancel something bad. It is about restoration. It is about making things right again. Think of it as a social repair kit.
How This Grammar Works
This is a three-part phrasal verb. We call these phrasal-prepositional verbs. They are very sticky. You cannot move the parts around. The verb make changes for the tense. You can say made up for or making up for. The words up and for never move. They stay together like best friends. This verb is always transitive. That means it needs an object. You cannot just say "I made up for." Your listener will wait for the rest. You must name the thing you are balancing. It is a solid, inseparable unit.
Formation Pattern
- 1Start with your subject.
- 2Use the verb
makein the correct tense. - 3Add the particles
upandforimmediately after. - 4Finish with the noun or gerund object.
- 5Example:
The bonus(Subject)made up for(Verb)the long hours(Object). - 6Example:
He(Subject)is making up for(Verb)being late(Gerund Object).
When To Use It
Use it when a positive replaces a negative. Use it for lost time. Use it for bad behavior. Use it for poor quality. Imagine you are at a restaurant. The service is very slow. The waiter gives you free wine. The wine makes up for the wait. It feels fair again. Use it in job interviews. Explain how your skills make up for lack of experience. Use it in your personal life. A nice dinner can make up for a busy week. It is about creating equilibrium. Even native speakers use this daily. It is very common in professional settings too.
When Not To Use It
Do not use it for physical replacements. If you break a chair, you replace it. You do not make up for the chair. Do not use it for "inventing" stories. That is just make up. Do not use it for "reconciling" with friends. That is make up with. Do not use it for putting on cosmetics. That is also just make up. It is not for simple exchanges. It is for balancing a deficit or mistake. If there is no negative to balance, do not use it.
Common Mistakes
Many people forget the for. They say "I made up the mistake." This sounds like you invented the mistake. That is a very different meaning. Other people try to split it. They say "I made the time up for." This is incorrect. Keep the three words together. It is not like turn the light off. You cannot put the object in the middle. Another mistake is using it without an object. Always specify what you are balancing. Yes, even advanced learners trip here sometimes. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Red means stop and check for the word for.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Make up for is about the "thing" or situation. Make it up to is about the "person." If you miss a date, you make up for the absence. You make it up to your partner. Compensate is a formal synonym. You use compensate in legal or business letters. Make up for is better for daily life. It feels more natural and warm. Atone is very heavy and religious. Do not use atone for a late email. That would be a bit dramatic. Stick to make up for for most life events.
Quick FAQ
Q. Can I use it with -ing verbs?
A. Yes, gerunds work perfectly as objects.
Q. Is it okay for formal emails?
A. Yes, it is neutral and professional.
Q. Can I use it for money?
A. Yes, if the money balances a loss.
Q. Does it work in the passive voice?
A. It is rare but possible in specific contexts.
Q. Is it different from "offset"?
A. They are similar, but "offset" is more technical.
Reference Table
| Context | Example Sentence | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| Work/Business | The high salary `makes up for` the stress. | Balancing a pro and a con. |
| Personal/Social | I'll `make up for` missing your party soon. | Fixing a social mistake. |
| Time/Efficiency | We must `make up for` lost time today. | Recovering a wasted resource. |
| Quality/Skill | Her passion `makes up for` her lack of skill. | One trait covering a weakness. |
| Customer Service | The discount `made up for` the cold food. | Correcting a service failure. |
| Travel/Delay | The view `made up for` the long hike. | The reward justifies the effort. |
The Balance Scale Analogy
Think of a scale. The negative event is on one side. Your 'make up for' action is the weight you add to the other side to level it.
Don't Split the Trio
Never put words between 'up' and 'for'. It's a package deal. 'Make up for the delay' is correct; 'Make up the delay for' is not.
C1 Collocations
Combine it with 'more than' for emphasis. 'The bonus more than made up for the stress.' It sounds very natural.
Politeness Strategy
In English-speaking cultures, offering to 'make up for' something is often seen as more sincere than a simple 'sorry'.
Exemplos
8The great food `made up for` the tiny apartment.
Focus: made up for
La excelente comida compensó el pequeño apartamento.
A positive quality balancing a negative one.
He is trying to `make up for` being so rude.
Focus: being so rude
Él está tratando de compensar el haber sido tan grosero.
Gerunds (-ing) follow 'for' easily.
No amount of money can `make up for` that loss.
Focus: No amount
Ninguna cantidad de dinero puede compensar esa pérdida.
Used here to show that balance is impossible.
We will provide extra credits to `make up for` the downtime.
Focus: downtime
Proporcionaremos créditos adicionales para compensar el tiempo de inactividad.
Very common in corporate apologies.
✗ I need to make up my lateness. → ✓ I need to `make up for` my lateness.
Focus: make up for
Necesito compensar mi tardanza.
Without 'for', the sentence sounds like you are inventing a lie.
✗ He made the mistake up for. → ✓ He `made up for` the mistake.
Focus: made up for
Él compensó el error.
This phrasal verb is inseparable.
I hope this gift goes some way to `making up for` the delay.
Focus: making up for
Espero que este regalo ayude en algo a compensar el retraso.
'Go some way to' is a great C1 colocation.
Let's work late tonight to `make up for` our long lunch.
Focus: long lunch
Trabajemos hasta tarde hoy para compensar nuestro almuerzo largo.
Used to justify a change in schedule.
Teste-se
Choose the correct form to complete the sentence about a missed meeting.
I'll work through the weekend to ___ the time I missed.
We need 'make up for' because we are balancing a specific loss (the time missed).
Complete the sentence describing a hotel experience.
The beautiful ocean view really ___ the small bed.
The view (positive) balances the small bed (negative).
Identify the correct structure for a professional apology.
We are offering a discount to ___ the shipping delay.
You make up FOR a thing (the delay).
🎉 Pontuação: /3
Recursos visuais
Make Up For vs. Make It Up To
Should I use 'Make up for'?
Is there a negative situation or deficit?
Are you adding a positive to balance it?
Are you focusing on the thing (not the person)?
Usage Scenarios
Professional
- • Missed deadlines
- • Poor quarterly results
Personal
- • Forgotten anniversaries
- • Being grumpy
Perguntas frequentes
21 perguntasIt means to provide something good as a balance against something bad or lacking. It is like saying compensate but in a more natural way.
Yes, it always requires an object. You must make up for something like lost time or a mistake.
No, this phrasal verb is inseparable. You cannot say make the time up for; you must say make up for the time.
Only the word make changes. You can use made up for, making up for, or will make up for.
Absolutely! You can say your experience makes up for a lack of specific certifications.
Yes, gerunds are common objects. For example: He tried to make up for being late.
Make up means to invent a story or reconcile after a fight. Make up for specifically means to compensate for a deficit.
You use make it up to [person] when focusing on the human relationship. Use make up for [thing] when focusing on the error itself.
Compensate is very formal and often relates to money. Make up for is versatile and works in both formal and informal writing.
Usually no. If you lose a book, you replace it. You make up for the inconvenience of losing the book.
It is rare. You might hear The loss was made up for by the profit, but the active voice is much more common.
Yes, making up for lost time is one of the most common idioms using this phrasal verb.
Atone is much more serious and often has religious or moral weight. Make up for is used for everyday mistakes and imbalances.
Yes. His height makes up for his lack of speed is a perfect example.
The meaning changes completely. I made up the mistake sounds like you lied and created a fake mistake.
Yes, it is used universally across all major English dialects, including British, American, and Australian.
Yes. For example: Nothing can make up for the way he treated you.
Yes, it is often used in technical or medical contexts to describe balancing a deficiency in nutrients or skills.
No, offset is generally more formal and used in economics or science. Make up for is more conversational.
No, that is incorrect. You would say make up for the mistake to him or more naturally make it up to him.
While the meaning is simple, using it naturally with gerunds and in complex sentences is a hallmark of C1 fluency.
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