CARROTTA
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🫱 Compendium
Grammar
EN
English — make / let / have + bare infinitive
The causative verbs make, let and have take an object followed by the bare infinitive (no to): make him do, let me go, have someone do. They express forcing, permitting, or arranging that an action happens.
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How it works
✓ Rule
Use the pattern subject + make/let/have + object + bare infinitive: She made him apologize. My parents let me stay out late. I'll have the waiter bring the menu. No to appears before the second verb.
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Examples
| Structure | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| make + obj + bare inf. | The teacher made us rewrite the essay. | force someone to do it |
| let + obj + bare inf. | Let me help you with that. | allow / permit someone |
| have + obj + bare inf. | I had the mechanic check the brakes. | arrange for someone to do it |
| make + obj + bare inf. (feeling) | That film made me cry. | cause a reaction |
| passive: be made + to-inf. | He was made to apologize. | make becomes passive → to returns |
| let → allowed / permitted | We were allowed to leave early. | let has no natural passive; use allow |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
In the active voice never add to after these verbs: say He made me wait, not He made me to wait. But when make is used in the passive, to comes back: He was made to wait. Also note the separate structure have/get something done (I had my car repaired), which uses a past participle for a service, not a bare infinitive.