Service vs They've done us a great favor

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Service

Top 1,000 (very common)A2noun

They've done us a great favor

Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Service
 ServiceThey've done us a great favor
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈsɜːvɪs/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈsɜːrvɪs/"]/🇬🇧 //ðeɪv dʌn ʌs ə ɡreɪt ˈfeɪ.vər//🇺🇸 //ðeɪv dʌn ʌs ə ɡreɪt ˈfeɪ.vɚ//
MeaningHelp performed for someone, or a job in a business.They helped us a lot.
ExampleThe restaurant offers excellent service to its customers.They've done us a great favor by helping us move last weekend.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR levelA2-
Part of speechnoun
Collocationsefficient, excellent, good, offer (somebody), provide (somebody with), operate, improve, deteriorate, provider, business, company, service for, service to, goods and services, products and services, efficient, excellent, good, offer (somebody), provide (somebody with), operate, improve, deteriorate, provider, business, company, service for, service to, goods and services, products and services, efficient, excellent, good, offer (somebody), provide (somebody with), operate, improve, deteriorate, provider, business, company, service for, service to, goods and services, products and services, efficient, excellent, first-class, deliver something (to somebody), give (somebody), offer (somebody), job, worker, meritorious, outstanding, faithful, do, see, begin, member, personnel, record, service to, conditions of service, in the service of your country, in the service of God, armed, go into, join, meritorious, outstanding, faithful, do, see, begin, member, personnel, record, service to, conditions of service, in the service of your country, in the service of God, great, invaluable, valuable, be of, do somebody, perform, charge, fee, at your service, services of, service to, church, religious, funeral, attend, go to, hold, service for, efficient, good, reliable, lay on, offer (somebody), provide (somebody with), in service, out of service, service between, great, invaluable, valuable, be of, do somebody, perform, charge, fee, at your service, services of, service toask for a favor, do someone a favor, return the favor
Antonymsneglect, abandon, disservice-
Common mistakesConfused with 'serve' which is a verb., Using 'services' improperly as a singular noun., Confusing 'service' with 'servant' in a service context.Using 'make' instead of 'do' (e.g., 'They've made us a great favor')., Confusing 'favor' with 'favour' in British English., Adding unnecessary modifiers (e.g., 'They've really done us a great favor').
Usage notesUsed in both formal and informal contexts. In business, it often refers to customer support. Avoid using in overly casual situations without context.Used in both formal and informal contexts to express gratitude for help. Common in everyday conversations.

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Service
They've done us a great favor

Frequently asked questions: Service vs They've done us a great favor

What's the difference between Service and They've done us a great favor?

Service: Help performed for someone, or a job in a business. They've done us a great favor: They helped us a lot.

Which is more common: Service and They've done us a great favor?

Service is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Service: The restaurant offers excellent service to its customers. They've done us a great favor: They've done us a great favor by helping us move last weekend.

Can I use Service and They've done us a great favor interchangeably?

Not always. Service and They've done us a great favor are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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