Make and let
In English, the verbs "make" and "let" are followed by an object and the infinitive without "to":
They can't make you work late.
She made him do the exercise again.
She lets the students sing in class.
His parents let him paint his room black.
Be careful: in the passive, "make" is followed by the infinitive with "to":
They were made to do the exercise again.
"Have" can also be used in this pattern:
Please have your secretary call me as soon as possible.
(Please ask your secretary to call me…)
Other English verbs not followed by the infinitive + to
Modal verbs (can, will, would, etc) are followed by the infinitive without "to":
I can see him clearly.
They will leave early tomorrow.
If I were you, I would talk to her.
(Click here for more information on modals.)
See / hear / watch someone followed by the infinitive without "to":
She saw the girl steal the money. (She saw all the action of stealing.)
I heard him tell her about the party." (I heard all about the party.)
I watched them do the exercise. (I watched them complete the exercise.)
But remember:
If you follow these verbs with the gerund form (ing), you only see part of the action.
She saw him talking to the teacher. (She didn't see the whole conversation.)
See also How to use gerunds in English
How is the passive of "Let"? Is "let" followed by the infinitive with "to"? Ex: Active: she lets the students sing in class. Passive: 1. The students are let to sing in class. 2. The students are let sing in class. 3. The students let to be sung in class. Which sentence is right? Thanks
MamTom ยป You can't make the passive with let. You can say instead: The students are allowed to sing in class.
yes,, but the let and the make they are same meaning?
i make him do his assignment before i let him watch his favorite show
i make her do her workhome before i let her eat her cake
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