Let & Make - Business English
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Use "let" and "make" to talk about permission and obligation. Both are followed by an object and then the bare infinitive (the verb with no "to"). "Let" means allow or permit: "My manager lets me work from home on Fridays." "Make" means force, oblige or cause: "The new policy makes us log every call." Notice there is no "to" after the object: say "She made me wait," not "She made me to wait." This is the most common mistake, because many similar verbs (allow, force, oblige) do take "to". A second key point: "make" has a passive form, and the passive does take "to", "I was made to apologise." "Let" is rarely passive; we usually switch to "be allowed to": "I was allowed to leave early" (not "I was let to leave"). In professional contexts you'll use these constantly: "Let me check and get back to you," "This tool lets you schedule emails in advance," "The deadline made the team work over the weekend." Keep "let" for permission and "make" for compulsion, and always drop the "to" in the active form.
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- The CEO decided to (let/make) us present our ideas during the meeting.
- The strict deadline will (let/make) the team work overtime this week.
- Please (let/make) me know if you can attend the conference.
- The manager will (let/make) all employees sign the new contract.
- We cannot (let/make) the client see the draft before it is finalized.
- High production costs (let/make) the company reconsider its pricing strategy.
- I will (let/make) the department head handle this negotiation.
- The new policy will (let/make) it difficult to work from home.
- Don't (let/make) the technical issues delay the project launch.
- The supervisor had to (let/make) the intern redo the entire report.
- Could you (let/make) us know your availability for a call?
- The sudden market shift will (let/make) us change our quarterly goals.
- The board will (let/make) the committee decide on the budget.
- Does the client (let/make) you feel uncomfortable during presentations?
- I won't (let/make) any errors slip through in the final audit.
- The intense training will (let/make) the staff more confident.
- Please (let/make) the secretary schedule a follow-up meeting.
- The legal department will (let/make) us follow these specific guidelines.
- They didn't (let/make) the investors attend the private briefing.
- Bad communication can (let/make) a project fail very quickly.
- Will the director (let/make) us take a break after the seminar?
- The contract terms (let/make) the partnership very profitable.
- I can't (let/make) you access the confidential files without permission.
- The auditor will (let/make) us provide all original receipts.
- We should (let/make) the marketing team lead this campaign.
Common questions
What is the difference between 'let' and 'make'?
'Let' means to allow or give permission, while 'make' means to force, oblige or cause. Compare: 'My boss lets me leave at four' (she permits it) with 'My boss makes me stay until six' (she forces it). Both are followed by an object plus the bare infinitive, for example 'lets me leave' and 'makes me stay'.
Why is it 'make me wait' and not 'make me to wait'?
After 'let' and 'make' in the active voice, you use the bare infinitive, meaning the verb with no 'to'. So you say 'They made me wait' and 'She let me go,' never 'made me to wait' or 'let me to go.' This differs from 'allow' and 'force,' which do take 'to': 'They allowed me to wait,' 'They forced me to leave.'
How do 'let' and 'make' work in the passive voice?
'Make' becomes passive and then takes 'to': 'I was made to sign the contract,' 'Staff were made to attend.' 'Let' is almost never used in the passive; instead use 'be allowed to': 'I was allowed to leave early,' not 'I was let to leave.' So the active 'They let me go' becomes 'I was allowed to go' in the passive.