Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997

48 Make and let. You make me laugh. He let her go

Quick reference

• In the following construction, make can mean ’force’ or ’cause’.

• Make can also be followed by object + adjective.

• Let (meaning allow) is used in this construction.

• We can use make in the passive. It is followed by the infinitive with to.

The children were made to go to bed. Passengers are made to show their passports.

1 Brian and Ann Price do not approve of the way their neighbours are bringing up their children. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using the word given.

Example: Ann: They don’t force the younger ones to go to bed at a reasonable time, (make) They don't make the younger ones go to bed at a reasonable time.

Brian: They allow them to go to bed when they like, (let)

1 They ... when they like.

Ann: They allow them to watch anything they like on television. (let)

2 They ... anything they like on television.

Brian: They aren’t forced to go to school. (made)

3 They ... to school.

Ann: They allow them to stay at home if they want to. (let)

4 They ... if they want to.

Brian: They allow their eldest daughter to go out with a man ten years older than her. (let)

5 They ... with a man ten years older than her.

2 Stephanie is telling her mother about her boyfriend. Complete what she says, using make or (not) let with the verbs in brackets.

He’s very funny. He always (1 laugh) ... And when I’m feeling miserable he (2 happy) ... But he also (3 angry) ... sometimes. He’s very old-fashioned. He never (4 decide) ... what we’re going to do and he (5 pay) ... for myself when we go out. And he always tries to (6 wear) ... smart clothes when we go out. He (7 wear) ... old jeans. He also (8 impatient) ... sometimes - he does everything so slowly! I want to shake him sometimes to (9 hurry) ...