Make, let, help and get all describe how one person affects what another person does. Make forces, let gives permission, help assists, and get persuades. The tricky part is the verb after the person: sometimes it needs to, and sometimes it doesn't.
The pattern
My boss made me redo the report.
I got my roommate to clean the kitchen.
We weren't allowed to use our phones.
01Make and let: no to
Make someone do means you force them, or something causes a reaction. Let someone do means you give permission. Both take the base verb with no to.
Make is also how we talk about feelings and reactions: that movie made me cry, the heat made me feel sick.
- The coach made us run extra laps.
- My landlord lets me park in the driveway.
- Sad songs always make me cry.
- Let me know when you get home.
02Help: with or without to
Help someone do and help someone to do are both correct, but Americans almost always drop the to. You can also leave out the person: this app helps (to) organize your week.
- Can you help me carry these boxes?
- A tutor helped my brother get ready for the SAT.
- Coffee helps me focus in the morning.
03Get someone to do: persuade
Get someone to do means you persuade or convince someone, often with some effort. Unlike make and let, get needs to before the verb.
- I finally got my dad to try sushi.
- Can you get IT to fix my laptop?
- She got the landlord to lower the rent.
04Passive: be allowed to, be made to
Let has no passive. Use be allowed to instead. Make does have a passive, and in the passive it needs to: he was made to wait. In everyday speech, Americans often just say had to instead of was made to.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| They let us leave early. | We were allowed to leave early. |
| They made us wear uniforms. | We were made to wear uniforms. |
| They don't let guests smoke. | Guests aren't allowed to smoke. |
05Common mistakes
My manager made me to stay late.
My manager made me stay late.
Make + person + base verb, with no to.
My parents didn't let me to go.
My parents didn't let me go.
Let also takes the base verb, with no to.
I got him fix the sink.
I got him to fix the sink.
Get + person needs to before the verb.
I was let to leave early.
I was allowed to leave early.
Let has no passive. Use be allowed to.