Let, Make, Allow

Let, Make, Allow

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Nowadays, English plays a significant role in our lives. We need English to communicate and socialise with both native speakers and foreigners. Good vocabulary enables us to express ourselves more effectively and to understand the people we are communicating with more thoughtfully. In that sense, today’s lesson will focus on the verbs let, make, and allow.

Let

Let means to allow someone to do something. It is used with an object and a bare infinitive (infinitive without to).

The structure is let+object+bare infinitive.

• Will you please let me pass?
• We let the children play in the swimming pool.
• If you let them, they would eat chocolate all day.
• I can’t let you in unless you have an invitation.
• Our PE teacher always lets us play football.
• They should let you have it your way.

Make

If you make someone do something, you cause or force them to do it.

The structure we use to express this is make+object+bare infinitive.

• John’s parents made him do his homework.
• The news on TV made me think.
• The film made me cry.
• The thought of the delicious cake made him salivate.
• Just mentioning her name makes George blush.
• Everybody needs a friend to make them laugh when they are sad.

Allow

To allow someone/something to do something means to let them do it.

The structure is allow+object+to-infinitive.

• My parents never allow me to stay out after midnight.
• His pride didn’t allow him to take the money.
• Please allow me to make a suggestion.
• Our boss doesn’t allow us to use telephones at work.
• They allowed the sheep to wander freely.
• My mum allows me to dunk my biscuit in her coffee.

Let vs allow

Let and allow have the same meaning, but, unlike let, allow can be used in the passive.

• The prisoners were allowed to receive letters and parcels. (not prisoners were let to…)
• Children should not be allowed to watch violence on TV. (not children should not be let …)

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