45 Causative Use of Make and Let

Causative Verbs are verbs that show the reason that why something took place. Subjects in Causative Verbs don’t take action by themselves but let someone to do for them. They cause something else to happen in a way. The Causative Verbs are: have, get, make, let.

We use Make to force someone to do something for us.
We use Let to give or take permission.

Make

The structure is as follows:
Make + person + verb.

It is also used as require and force. When we use “force”or “require“ instead of Make we make sure that we are using them with “to“ preposition.

Let

The structure is as follows:
Let + person + verb.

We can use allow or permit instead of Let. However, we should be careful about these verbs because “permit” and “allow” take “to” preposition before the verb just as force and require. The verb is in the base form.

Make

• They make young kids treat animals well.
• She forced him to buy a bouquet of flowers for his mom.
• Female marine animals force male marine animals to obey dinner for him.
• He made the stray cats act good.

Let

• They let him ask a question to the professor.
• My mother allowed me to drink some wine.
• She let her young brother consult his wife.

Make

This usage underlines that the subject has power or influence on someone or something to have them to do something.

Let

By using Let Causative Verb we are giving a permission to somebody to do something.