Word
good deed
Definition
compound. a kind or helpful act that you do for someone else without expecting a reward.
compound. an act of altruism or kindness performed for the benefit of another. Often used in the context of moral duty or daily habits of helpfulness.
Examples
“He did a good deed by helping the old lady cross the street.”
“She tries to do at least one good deed every day, like donating food or helping a neighbor.”
“The protagonist's single good deed in the final chapter serves as a moment of redemption for his earlier transgressions.”
Examples
simple
“He did a good deed by helping the old lady cross the street.”
contextual
“She tries to do at least one good deed every day, like donating food or helping a neighbor.”
complex
“The protagonist's single good deed in the final chapter serves as a moment of redemption for his earlier transgressions.”
Usage
usually follows the verb 'do' rather than 'make'.
Teaching tip
anchor this to the Boy Scout motto 'Do a good turn daily' to help students remember the collocation with 'do'.
Pitfall
I made a good deed today.
I did a good deed today.
English uses the verb 'do' for actions and tasks like 'deeds', whereas 'make' is for creating physical objects.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/good-deed