This would make a great gift.

Question

I don't understand the usage of "make" in this sentence. I've also heard "She would make a good wife."  If I rephrase these sentences, can I say "This would become a great gift" and "She would become a good wife?" If so, what is the difference between "make" and "become"? Thank you in advance!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AnonymousShe would make a good wife.

~ She would [be / serve as] a good wife (to any man who married her).

This phrasing (make a good wife) might be considered demeaning to women when used this way, because many uses of "make" in this way involve the potential use of an inanimate thing. It has to do with serving a useful purpose.

While beach-combing the other day, we found a very attractive rock with an interesting shape, so we brought it home because we thought it would make a good doorstop.

Think of "make" in this context as "serve as".

Here are more examples: http://fraze.it/n_search.jsp?q=%22would+make+a+good%22&l=0&sugg=off

___________

"become" has little to do with it. "become" suggests a change from one state to another. She would become a good wife suggests that at the beginning of some period of time she was not a good wife, but after some time and experience and learning, she was a good wife.

"This would become a great gift" makes little sense to me. An object that is destined to be given to someone is not something that is likely to change (though it might gather dust if you wait too long before giving it!), so this sort of sentence would be extremely rare.

CJ

This would make a great gift.

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