Verb patterns · CEFR B1 · Independent
make / let / help — English verb patterns
Make, let and help take the plain verb with no "to". Allow and permit mean the same thing but do take "to".
The shape
make / let + object + plain verb · help + object + (to) verb
Say somebody made you or let you do something.
In Hindi
make, let और help के बाद "to" नहीं आता। allow और permit का मतलब वही है, पर उनके साथ "to" आता है।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
She let me to use her phone. | She let me use her phone. "Let" never takes "to" — but "allowed me to use" would be correct. |
make / let / help examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
Let me do this.
मुझे यह करने दो।
Let me help you.
मुझे तुम्हारी मदद करने दो।
I help him too.
मैं भी उसकी मदद कर{ता|ती} हूँ।
He helps me study.
वह मेरी पढ़ाई में मदद करता है।
Then I let him have the phone for a few minutes.
फिर मैं उसे कुछ मिनट के लिए फोन दे{ता|ती} हूँ।
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- want somebody to do somethingB1Say what you want somebody else to do
- be allowed toB1Talk about permission that somebody else gives
Questions people ask
- What is the make / let / help used for?
- Make, let and help take the plain verb with no "to". Allow and permit mean the same thing but do take "to". In practice: say somebody made you or let you do something.
- How do you form the make / let / help?
- make / let + object + plain verb · help + object + (to) verb.
- What is the most common mistake with the make / let / help?
- Saying “She let me to use her phone.” instead of “She let me use her phone.”. "Let" never takes "to" — but "allowed me to use" would be correct.
Where make / let / help fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
make / let / help is a CEFR B1 structure — the independent band — and it belongs to verb patterns. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
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