Make someone do something means to force them to do it; let someone do something means to allow them to do it. Make is about pressure, let is about freedom to choose: The boss made us stay late on Monday but let us leave early on Friday. In both cases the next verb comes without to.
make or let — can you pick the right one?
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make + person + verb; let + person + verb; be made to + verb; be allowed to + verb
- My manager made me rewrite the whole report because of one wrong figure.
- My parents let me stay out late on Saturdays when I was sixteen.
- At school we were made to learn long poems by heart every term.
What changed
First versionThe teacher made us to read the text aloud.
RevisionThe teacher made us read the text aloud.
It's tempting to add to, as after ask, tell or force: asked us to read, forced us to read. But make meaning “force” joins the next verb directly: made us read. Let works the same way: let us read.
In the passive, make does take to: We were made to read the text aloud. Let is hardly ever used in the passive; people say be allowed to instead: We were allowed to leave early.
Your turn
Our coach was strict: if anyone came late, he ___ them run five extra laps.
Show the answer
made — The coach is strict, and five extra laps are a punishment for being late, so the latecomers were forced to run: made. Let would mean they were allowed to run, as if it were a reward.
Think about the rules at school, at your first job or in a student hall. In one sentence, use make and let: say what you were forced to do and what you were allowed to do.
At my first job they made us wear a uniform, but they let us listen to music at our desks.
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