B1daily

Let & Make - Daily 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.

Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.

  1. My parents always (let/make) me clean my room on Saturdays.
  2. Please (let/make) me know when the flight arrives.
  3. The heavy rain (let/make) us stay indoors all afternoon.
  4. Will you (let/make) me borrow your umbrella for a while?
  5. Our teacher (let/make) us redo the assignment because of mistakes.
  6. Don't (let/make) the cat go outside in this cold weather.
  7. Watching sad movies always (let/make) Sarah cry.
  8. My boss won't (let/make) us leave the office early today.
  9. Eating too much junk food (let/make) him feel tired.
  10. I can't (let/make) you drive my car without a license.
  11. The loud music (let/make) the neighbors complain.
  12. They won't (let/make) us enter the club without an ID.
  13. Does your mom (let/make) you help with the cooking?
  14. We should (let/make) him try the new hobby.
  15. The long flight (let/make) the passengers very grumpy.
  16. Please (let/make) the dog sleep on the floor.
  17. The manager (let/make) everyone attend the morning meeting.
  18. I will (let/make) you use my laptop for your presentation.
  19. Walking in the park always (let/make) me feel relaxed.
  20. My brother never (let/make) me play his video games.
  21. The bright sun (let/make) her squint her eyes.
  22. Can you (let/make) the guests into the house?
  23. The coach (let/make) the team run extra laps.
  24. Don't (let/make) your friends influence your bad habits.
  25. The spicy food (let/make) my eyes water.

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.