Level 10 – Step 06 : Verb Patterns (help / let / make differences) (She helped me carry the bag. Let him try.)
/Level 10 – Step 06 : Verb Patterns (help / let / make differences) (She helped me carry the bag. Let him try.)
🚪 Let’s Begin
/🚪 Let’s Begin
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how three verbs — help, let, and make — connect with other verbs and how each changes the verb form that follows.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how three verbs — help, let, and make — connect with other verbs and how each changes the verb form that follows.
🐧Igupen: They look similar, but I hear they use different forms after them.
/🐧Igupen: They look similar, but I hear they use different forms after them.
🦉Professor Owl: Exactly.
/🦉Professor Owl: Exactly.
Small differences in form change the meaning and sound natural.
/Small differences in form change the meaning and sound natural.
Listen and try the examples.
/Listen and try the examples.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is special about help, let, and make?
/What is special about help, let, and make?
These verbs are followed by another verb, but the verb form after them can differ.
/These verbs are followed by another verb, but the verb form after them can differ.
We call this their verb pattern or grammar “collocation.”
/We call this their verb pattern or grammar “collocation.”
Keep it simple: help can be followed by the to-infinitive or bare infinitive; let and make are followed by the bare infinitive (no to).
/Keep it simple: help can be followed by the to-infinitive or bare infinitive; let and make are followed by the bare infinitive (no to).
The meaning changes slightly with help.
/The meaning changes slightly with help.
Basic patterns (easy rules)
/Basic patterns (easy rules)
help + (to) + base verb → She helped me (to) carry the bag.
/help + (to) + base verb → She helped me (to) carry the bag.
Both forms are correct; native speakers often drop to in casual speech.
/Both forms are correct; native speakers often drop to in casual speech.
let + base verb → Let him try. (Let allows someone to do something.)
/let + base verb → Let him try. (Let allows someone to do something.)
make + base verb → She made him laugh. (Make forces or causes someone to do something.)
/make + base verb → She made him laugh. (Make forces or causes someone to do something.)
Passive and object forms
/Passive and object forms
make can be used in active: She made him clean the room.
/make can be used in active: She made him clean the room.
In passive: He was made to clean the room.
/In passive: He was made to clean the room.
Note the passive uses to + base verb.
/Note the passive uses to + base verb.
let is rarely used in the passive: He was let go exists with different meaning, but passive with permission is uncommon.
/let is rarely used in the passive: He was let go exists with different meaning, but passive with permission is uncommon.
Meaning differences (short)
/Meaning differences (short)
help (allow support): gives assistance.
/help (allow support): gives assistance.
let (allow permission): gives permission.
/let (allow permission): gives permission.
make (force or cause): causes or forces.
/make (force or cause): causes or forces.
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
If someone gives permission, use let + base verb.
/If someone gives permission, use let + base verb.
If someone causes an action, use make + base verb.
/If someone causes an action, use make + base verb.
If someone gives assistance, use help + either to-infinitive or bare infinitive.
/If someone gives assistance, use help + either to-infinitive or bare infinitive.
Quick checks inside the lesson
/Quick checks inside the lesson
She helped me carry the bag.
/She helped me carry the bag.
help + bare infinitive (or to carry).
/help + bare infinitive (or to carry).
Let him try.
/Let him try.
let + bare infinitive (permission).
/let + bare infinitive (permission).
She made him finish the homework.
/She made him finish the homework.
make + bare infinitive (cause/force).
/make + bare infinitive (cause/force).
He was made to finish the homework.
/He was made to finish the homework.
Passive difference: He was made to finish the homework.
/Passive difference: He was made to finish the homework.
🌼 Sample Sentences
/🌼 Sample Sentences
No.01 She helped me carry the bag.
/No.01 She helped me carry the bag.
No.02 She helped me to carry the bag.
/No.02 She helped me to carry the bag.
No.03 Let him try.
/No.03 Let him try.
No.04 Don’t let the cat outside.
/No.04 Don’t let the cat outside.
No.05 She made him laugh.
/No.05 She made him laugh.
No.06 The story made the children cry.
/No.06 The story made the children cry.
No.07 He was made to apologize.
/No.07 He was made to apologize.
No.08 They helped us move the table.
/No.08 They helped us move the table.
No.09 My parents let me attend the camp.
/No.09 My parents let me attend the camp.
No.10 The coach made the team run five laps.
/No.10 The coach made the team run five laps.
🎓 Practice exercises
/🎓 Practice exercises
Note: Think first, then check the answers.
/Note: Think first, then check the answers.
Q1: Choose the correct form: She helped me (to carry / carrying) the box.
/Q1: Choose the correct form: She helped me (to carry / carrying) the box.
Q2: Choose the correct sentence: A) Let him to speak. B) Let him speak.
/Q2: Choose the correct sentence: A) Let him to speak. B) Let him speak.
Q3: Fill in the blank with make or let: My mother ___ me finish my homework before dinner.
/Q3: Fill in the blank with make or let: My mother ___ me finish my homework before dinner.
Q4: Change to passive: She made him apologize. → He ___ apologize.
/Q4: Change to passive: She made him apologize. → He ___ apologize.
Q5: Choose the correct form: They helped (install / to install) the new shelf.
/Q5: Choose the correct form: They helped (install / to install) the new shelf.
Q6: True or False: After let, use to + base verb in normal active sentences.
/Q6: True or False: After let, use to + base verb in normal active sentences.
Q7: Fill in the blank: The teacher ___ the students practice every day.
/Q7: Fill in the blank: The teacher ___ the students practice every day.
Q8: Choose the correct sentence: A) He was let to leave early. B) He was allowed to leave early.
/Q8: Choose the correct sentence: A) He was let to leave early. B) He was allowed to leave early.
Q9: Fill in the blank with help (use to or not): Can you ___ me lift this table?
/Q9: Fill in the blank with help (use to or not): Can you ___ me lift this table?
Q10: Correct the sentence if needed: She made to him finish the work.
/Q10: Correct the sentence if needed: She made to him finish the work.
◆ Answers
/◆ Answers
A1: She helped me to carry the box.
/A1: She helped me to carry the box.
A2: B is correct: Let him speak.
/A2: B is correct: Let him speak.
A3: let → My mother let me finish my homework before dinner.
/A3: let → My mother let me finish my homework before dinner.
A4: He was made to apologize.
/A4: He was made to apologize.
A5: They helped install the new shelf.
/A5: They helped install the new shelf.
A6: False — after let, use the bare infinitive (no to).
/A6: False — after let, use the bare infinitive (no to).
A7: made → The teacher made the students practice every day.
/A7: made → The teacher made the students practice every day.
A8: B is better: He was allowed to leave early.
/A8: B is better: He was allowed to leave early.
A9: Can you help me lift this table?
/A9: Can you help me lift this table?
A10: Correction: She made him finish the work.
/A10: Correction: She made him finish the work.
🦉 Closing
/🦉 Closing
🦉Professor Owl: Very good.
/🦉Professor Owl: Very good.
Remember the short guide: help = assist (to or no to), let = allow (bare verb), make = cause/force (bare verb; passive uses to).
/Remember the short guide: help = assist (to or no to), let = allow (bare verb), make = cause/force (bare verb; passive uses to).
🐧Igupen: I’ll listen for permission, help, or cause and choose the right pattern.
/🐧Igupen: I’ll listen for permission, help, or cause and choose the right pattern.
🦉Professor Owl: Excellent.
/🦉Professor Owl: Excellent.
Write six sentences: two with help (one with to, one without), two with let, and two with make (one active, one passive).
/Write six sentences: two with help (one with to, one without), two with let, and two with make (one active, one passive).
Practise aloud and the patterns will become natural.
/Practise aloud and the patterns will become natural.
