Zorg Spacemake, let, allow and ask somebody to
The rule
These four verbs all say that one person caused another to do something, and they do not take the same shape. make and let are followed by the person and then the BARE verb: They made me wait, She let me borrow it. allow, ask, tell, want and advise take the person and then to: They allowed me to wait, She asked me to sign it. let has no passive at all — the passive of let is be allowed to. And in the passive, make gains a to: I was made to wait.
make / let + person + BASE · allow / ask / tell + person + TO · was made to …
Examples
They made me wait outside for an hour.
My boss let me leave early.
The doctor advised me to rest for a week.
We are not allowed to park here.
Common mistakes
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Wrong: They made me to sign it.
Right: They made me sign it.
make takes the bare verb in the active.
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Wrong: She let me to use her car.
Right: She let me use her car.
let never takes to.
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Wrong: I was let to go home.
Right: I was allowed to go home.
let has no passive, so the passive uses be allowed to.
Practice questions
Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.
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1Choose the correct sentence.
- His parents allowed him stay out late.
- His parents let him to stay out late.
- His parents let him staying out late.
- His parents let him stay out late.
Show answer
Answer: D His parents let him stay out late.
let + person + bare verb.
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2Choose the correct sentence.
- The teacher made us repeating the exercise.
- The teacher made us repeat the exercise.
- The teacher made to us repeat the exercise.
- The teacher made us to repeat the exercise.
Show answer
Answer: B The teacher made us repeat the exercise.
make + person + bare verb.
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3Choose the correct sentence.
- They allowed us to take photographs.
- They allowed us taking photographs.
- They let us to take photographs.
- They allowed us take photographs.
Show answer
Answer: A They allowed us to take photographs.
allow + person + to + verb.
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4Choose the correct sentence.
- I was made to pay for the damage.
- I was let pay for the damage.
- I was made pay for the damage.
- I was make to pay for the damage.
Show answer
Answer: A I was made to pay for the damage.
In the passive make gains the to it does not have in the active.
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5Fill in the gap.
She would not let me _____ for the meal.
- to pay
- pay
- paid
- paying
Show answer
Answer: B She would not let me pay for the meal.
After let + person comes the bare verb.
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6Fill in the gap.
The nurse asked him _____ still.
- for sitting
- to sit
- sit
- sitting
Show answer
Answer: B The nurse asked him to sit still.
ask + person + to + verb.
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7Fill in the gap.
The rain made the match _____ impossible.
- seemed
- to seem
- seem
- seeming
Show answer
Answer: C The rain made the match seem impossible.
make keeps the bare verb even with a thing as the subject.
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8Fill in the gap.
Visitors are not _____ to use this entrance.
- made
- let
- allowed
- asking
Show answer
Answer: C Visitors are not allowed to use this entrance.
let has no passive; the notice uses allowed.
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9Put the words in the right order.
My sister let me borrow her coat
Show answer
Answer: My sister let me borrow her coat.
let + person + bare verb, with nothing in between.
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10Put the words in the right order.
They told us to wait in the corridor
Show answer
Answer: They told us to wait in the corridor.
tell + person + to + verb.
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