Lesson 72 · Stage 6: Verb patterns
“Make / let” someone do
IntermediateForm & use
make/let + person + verb — causing or allowing someone to do something
1.Form
make / let + object + base verb (no to). make = force or cause; let = allow. Past tense: make → made, let → let (no change).
| make | let | |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | My boss makes us work late. | My boss lets us work from home. |
| Negative | She didn't make me pay. | They don't let me stay out late. |
| Question | Did they make you wait? | Will you let me try? |
| Past | made me laugh | let me go (let – let – let) |
make and let are the two common exceptions with no to. Verbs with similar meanings — allow, force, ask — do need to: allow me to go. Remember make and let as a pair.
2.When to use them
1. make = force someone to do something — a person with power makes someone do it, even if they don't want to
Our teacher made us rewrite the whole essay.
My mum makes me do my homework before dinner.
2. make = cause — something causes a reaction; nobody is forcing anyone. make + object + adjective is also common: The heat makes me tired.
Onions always make me cry.
What made you decide to learn Korean?
This song makes me feel at home.
3. let = allow someone or something to do something — you don't stop it
My parents let me choose my own major.
The landlord lets us keep a cat.
Don't let the rice burn!
4. Let me… / Let's… — asking permission, offering help, suggesting (Let's = let us — see the lesson “Imperatives: Let's / Don't”)
Let me know when you get home.
Let me carry that for you.
Let's take a short break.
3.Compared with allow, force, have, get
Many verbs with the same meaning need to. Only make, let and have take the base verb without to; help works both ways.
| No to | With to | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| let sb do | allow / permit sb to do | permission |
| make sb do | force / require sb to do | obligation (force: real pressure) |
| have sb do | get sb to do | arrange for someone to do it (have: like giving a task, common in American English; get: persuade) |
| help sb do | help sb to do | help — both are correct |
The guard let us take photos. = The guard allowed us to take photos.
The storm forced us to cancel our trip.
I'll have my assistant send you the details.
I finally got my son to eat his vegetables.
When you pay someone to do a service for you (a haircut, a car repair), use have / get + thing + past participle: I had my hair cut. See the lesson “Have something done”.
4.Passive: be made to — no “be let”
In the passive, make needs to: be made to do. let is almost never used in the passive — use be allowed to instead.
The players were made to run extra laps after losing.
Students aren't allowed to use phones during the exam.
not: aren't let use
Remember the pair: active made me go – passive was made to go. The to disappears in the active and comes back in the passive.
5.Common mistakes
She made me to apologise.She made me apologise.
make + object + base verb, no to.
My parents let me to go to the concert.My parents let me go to the concert.
let + object + base verb, no to.
My boss letted us leave early.My boss let us leave early.
let – let – let; no -ed.
We were made wait outside.We were made to wait outside.
Passive: be made to + verb.
This film makes me crying.This film makes me cry.
After make + object, use the base verb, not -ing.
Mum doesn't allow me go out at night.Mum doesn't allow me to go out at night.
allow needs to (unlike let).
Examples
- My mum never lets me stay out after 10 p.m.
- Please don't let the children play near the river.
- Our teacher makes us write a story every Monday. I hate it!
- My parents let me choose my own university.
