B2 Upper-intermediate Advanced sentence structure
Verb patterns with objects
Lesson goal. After this lesson you know which verbs take object + to + verb and which take a bare infinitive.
When to use it
- Saying who wants whom to do what: I want you to help me.
- Talking about permission and compulsion: They let me go. / She made me wait.
- Very common in transformation and multiple-choice tasks.
Form
| Group | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| + object + to + verb | want · ask · tell · allow · advise · expect · encourage · remind | They allowed us to leave. |
| + object + base verb | make · let | She made me wait. |
| takes both | help | He helped me (to) do it. |
| exception in the passive | make → be made to | I was made to wait. |
Step by step
- Look at the first verb.
- If it is make or let → the following verb takes no to.
- If it is want, ask, tell, allow, advise… → add to.
- If make goes into the passive, the to comes back.
One idea, two patterns
| With make / let | Equivalent | Note |
|---|---|---|
| My parents let me go out. | My parents allow me to go out. | let has no to, allow has to |
| She made me wait. | She forced me to wait. | make has no to, force has to |
| He let me use it. | He permitted me to use it. | a more formal form |
Examples
My parents don't let me go out late.
She made me tell her the whole story.
They allowed us to leave early.
The teacher wants us to finish the project by Friday.
He helped me (to) do my homework.
I was made to clean the whole room.
Common mistakes
My parents let me to stay up late. → My parents let me stay up late.
No to after let. Learners add it because most other verbs take one.
She made me to wait. → She made me wait.
Active make also takes no to.
He allowed me use his laptop. → He allowed me to use his laptop.
Conversely, allow requires the to.
Memory tip
Only two verbs drop the to: make and let. Learn those two and treat everything else as taking to.
Summary
- make and let + object + bare infinitive.
- want, ask, tell, allow, advise, expect + object + to + verb.
- Passive make takes the to back: be made to do.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.