do s.t. for a living VS make / earn a living
Hi there,
This is my first question here on Italki.
I would ask you whether there are any differences between the following expressions:
1) do something for a living
2) make/earn a living by doing something
3) make/earn one's living by doing something

Is it possible the expression "do a living by doing ..." or "do one's living by doing ..."

thanks in advance for every suggestion!

Question

do s.t. for a living VS make / earn a living
Hi there,
This is my first question here on Italki.
I would ask you whether there are any differences between the following expressions:
1) do something for a living 
2) make/earn a living by doing something
3) make/earn one's living by doing something

Is it possible the expression "do a living by doing ..." or "do one's living by doing ..."

thanks in advance for every suggestion!

Answer

The first three statements all mean the same thing, and are common in English.

"Do a living by doing..." and "Do one's living by doing..." are not correct. (They are technically *grammatically* correct, but no one uses those expressions. They would use one of the first 3 statements you mentioned).