MAKE/HAVE/LET + object + BARE infinitive (no TO): "She made him work late" / "He let us leave early" / "She had the team revise it." GET + object + TO + infinitive: "She got him to work late" (= she persuaded him). FORCE/ALLOW + TO: "forced her to resign" / "allowed us to leave." Rule: MAKE/HAVE/LET = no TO. GET/FORCE/ALLOW = with TO.
CLASSIC CAUSATIVES (NO TO — bare infinitive): (1) MAKE + object + bare infinitive: COMPEL / CAUSE (no choice for the object). "The director made the team stay late." "What made you change your mind?" IN PASSIVE: MAKE in passive RECOVERS TO: "The team was made TO stay late" (passive = TO returns). (2) LET + object + bare infinitive: PERMIT (not imposing obstacles, allowing to happen). "He let the intern present." "Let me explain." LET in passive = awkward — replaced by ALLOW: "The intern was allowed to present." (3) HAVE + object + bare infinitive: arrange for someone to do something (no emphasis on persuasion or compulsion — it is an arrangement). "She had the accountant review the figures." "Can you have someone check this?" CAUSATIVE HAVE (for work done by another): "I had my car serviced" (someone else did it).
The compliance requirements effectively made the organization restructure its data handling procedures from the ground up, as the existing processes were fundamentally incompatible with the new regulatory framework.
The chair let each board member speak for up to five minutes before opening the matter to general discussion, ensuring that all perspectives were heard before any preliminary vote was taken on the proposed amendment.
Could you have the design team prepare three alternative visual concepts for the rebranding before the end of the week, so that we have a range of options to present to the client at the briefing session on Monday?
CAUSATIVES AND PERMISSIVES WITH TO: (1) GET + object + TO + infinitive: persuade or manage to get someone to do something (implies some persuasion effort). "She got the client to sign the contract" (with persuasion). "How did you get him to agree?" GET vs MAKE: "She made him sign" = compelled him (no choice). "She got him to sign" = persuaded him. (2) FORCE + object + TO + infinitive: compel with pressure or coercion. "The circumstances forced the company to restructure." (3) ALLOW/PERMIT + object + TO + infinitive: formally permit. "The regulations allow companies to defer payment." (4) ENABLE + object + TO + infinitive: make possible. "The new system enables users to access data remotely." (5) HELP + object + bare infinitive OR TO + infinitive (BOTH POSSIBLE): "She helped him write the report" = "She helped him to write the report" (both correct).
The finance director managed to get the board to approve an emergency budget allocation for the system upgrade, having presented a detailed cost-benefit analysis that clearly demonstrated the financial risk of further delay.
The contract expressly allows either party to terminate the agreement with a minimum of sixty days' written notice, provided that there are no outstanding obligations or unresolved disputes at the time the notice is served.
The new enterprise platform enables the procurement team to access real-time supplier performance data and to generate compliance reports automatically, significantly reducing the manual workload associated with the existing quarterly review process.
Common mistake
THE MAIN ERROR: ADDING TO WHERE IT DOES NOT BELONG (MAKE/LET/HAVE): "She made him TO work" = INCORRECT. "She let us TO leave" = INCORRECT. "She had him TO review it" = INCORRECT. MAKE/LET/HAVE + bare infinitive (NO TO). THE REVERSE ERROR: OMITTING TO WHERE IT BELONGS: "She got him sign" = INCORRECT. "She forced him resign" = INCORRECT. GET/FORCE/ALLOW/ENABLE + TO + infinitive. MAKE IN PASSIVE + TO: "He was made TO resign" (WITH TO in passive). In active: "They made him resign" (NO TO). HELP = both: "helped him write" OR "helped him to write" (both correct). HAVE causative vs HAVE auxiliary: "I have reviewed it" (auxiliary, present perfect). "I have someone review it" (causative, arrange for someone to review it).
Trick to remember it
MEMORY TRICK: MAKE / LET / HAVE = the 3 classic "native" causatives = NO TO. GET / FORCE / ALLOW / ENABLE / PERMIT = with TO (like any ordinary verb + object + TO). SPECIAL PASSIVE: MAKE active = no TO. MAKE passive = WITH TO ("was made to"). HELP = can go with or without TO (the only exception). "MAKE me do it" (no TO). "GET me to do it" (with TO). "LET me do it" (no TO). "ALLOW me to do it" (with TO). "HAVE someone check it" (no TO). "FORCE someone to check it" (with TO).
Quick rule
NO TO: MAKE + object + bare inf. LET + object + bare inf. HAVE + object + bare inf. WITH TO: GET + object + TO + inf. FORCE/ALLOW/PERMIT/ENABLE + object + TO + inf. EXCEPTION: MAKE in PASSIVE = "was made TO do." HELP = with or without TO (both correct).
Did you know?
Causative verbs are a universal semantic category — all the world's languages have ways to express "make someone do something." What varies is the morphology: Spanish uses the verb HACER followed by an infinitive, French uses FAIRE + infinitive, German uses LASSEN + infinitive (identical in structure to LET in English). What is fascinating about English is that MAKE, LET, and HAVE are the only full verbs in modern English that systematically take the bare infinitive (without TO) in object constructions. All other verbs with object + infinitive require TO (want TO, expect TO, force TO). This feature — the bare infinitive after MAKE/LET/HAVE — is a remnant of Old English, where all infinitives were forms without "to" (the TO particle was progressively added in Medieval English). MAKE, LET, and HAVE preserved the old infinitive form because they were so grammaticalized that they resisted the change.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The restructuring agreement effectively _____ the entire middle management layer to submit formal applications for their own positions, which many employees found both demoralising and procedurally unnecessary.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
After several months of difficult negotiations, the lead negotiator finally _____ the two parties to agree on a framework for the resolution of the outstanding contractual disputes.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
NO TO: MAKE + object + bare inf. LET + object + bare inf. HAVE + object + bare inf. WITH TO: GET + object + TO + inf. FORCE/ALLOW/PERMIT/ENABLE + object + TO + inf. EXCEPTION: MAKE in PASSIVE = "was made TO do." HELP = with or without TO (both correct).
THE MAIN ERROR: ADDING TO WHERE IT DOES NOT BELONG (MAKE/LET/HAVE): "She made him TO work" = INCORRECT. "She let us TO leave" = INCORRECT. "She had him TO review it" = INCORRECT. MAKE/LET/HAVE + bare infinitive (NO TO). THE REVERSE ERROR: OMITTING TO WHERE IT BELONGS: "She got him sign" = INCORRECT. "She forced him resign" = INCORRECT. GET/FORCE/ALLOW/ENABLE + TO + infinitive. MAKE IN PASSIVE + TO: "He was made TO resign" (WITH TO in passive). In active: "They made him resign" (NO TO). HELP = both: "helped him write" OR "helped him to write" (both correct). HAVE causative vs HAVE auxiliary: "I have reviewed it" (auxiliary, present perfect). "I have someone review it" (causative, arrange for someone to review it).
MEMORY TRICK: MAKE / LET / HAVE = the 3 classic "native" causatives = NO TO. GET / FORCE / ALLOW / ENABLE / PERMIT = with TO (like any ordinary verb + object + TO). SPECIAL PASSIVE: MAKE active = no TO. MAKE passive = WITH TO ("was made to"). HELP = can go with or without TO (the only exception). "MAKE me do it" (no TO). "GET me to do it" (with TO). "LET me do it" (no TO). "ALLOW me to do it" (with TO). "HAVE someone check it" (no TO). "FORCE someone to check it" (with TO).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy