Causative verbs have FIXED structures: MAKE/LET + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO; HAVE + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO; GET + object + TO-infinitive; ALLOW/PERMIT + object + TO-infinitive. The preposition "to" changes depending on the causative verb.
CAUSATIVES OF OBLIGATION/COMMISSION: (1) MAKE + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO (to force, compel): "The manager made the team work overtime" (the team had no choice). MAKE = coercion or force (can be direct or indirect). In PASSIVE: "The team was made TO work overtime" (with TO in passive). (2) HAVE + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO (to commission, to have someone do something for you): "I had the assistant prepare the report" (delegation, no connotation of force). (3) GET + object + TO-INFINITIVE (to persuade, to convince, to get someone to): "She got the supplier to lower the price" (persuasion, not coercion). GET + TO = the only commissioning causative that uses TO.
The board made it clear that they would not allow the acquisition to proceed unless a comprehensive risk assessment had been completed and independently reviewed.
The new quality control protocols have us conduct three independent audits before any product can be released to the international market.
She managed to get the client to extend the project deadline by two weeks, which gave the development team enough time to complete the integration testing.
CAUSATIVES OF PERMISSION/AUTHORIZATION: (1) LET + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO (to permit informally): "The manager let the team leave early" (informal permission, no bureaucracy). LET = casual and informal permission. (2) ALLOW + object + TO-INFINITIVE (to permit formally): "The manager allowed the team to leave early" (more formal than let). ALLOW = more formal permission, often with reference to rules or policies. (3) PERMIT + object + TO-INFINITIVE (to authorize officially): "Regulations do not permit employees to work remotely without prior approval" = very formal, often in legal or regulatory contexts. KEY: LET uses infinitive WITHOUT TO. ALLOW and PERMIT use TO-INFINITIVE. This is the opposite of what many students expect.
The new flexible work policy lets employees choose their own start and end times, provided their total hours and core availability requirements are met each week.
Under the revised authorization matrix, only directors and above are permitted to approve vendor contracts with a total value exceeding fifty thousand dollars.
Security regulations do not allow contractors to access the server room without being accompanied by a permanent member of the IT infrastructure team.
Common mistake
FREQUENT ERRORS with the preposition TO: (1) "Let me to go" = INCORRECT. LET + infinitive WITHOUT TO: "Let me GO." (2) "Make him to do" = INCORRECT. MAKE + infinitive WITHOUT TO: "Make him DO." (3) "Allow him go" = INCORRECT. ALLOW + TO-INFINITIVE: "Allow him TO GO." (4) "Get him do it" = INCORRECT. GET + TO-INFINITIVE: "Get him TO DO it." PREPOSITION SUMMARY: MAKE + do (no to). LET + do (no to). HAVE + do (no to). GET + to do (WITH to). ALLOW + to do (WITH to). PERMIT + to do (WITH to). Memory rule: the three obligation/commission verbs without persuasion nuance (make, let, have) = no to. The three that imply greater independence of the agent (get, allow, permit) = with to.
Trick to remember it
THE THREE-GROUP TRICK: without "to" (make, let, have) vs with "to" (get, allow, permit). Association: MAKE + LET are "siblings" in many grammars (obligation causative vs permission causative) and both go without TO. HAVE is the third without TO. All others (get, allow, permit, encourage, force, cause, enable) go with TO. Additional trick: in the PASSIVE, MAKE recovers TO: "She was made TO work" (TO appears when the causative is passive). This is a classic exam trap. The rule: active = "make him DO" (no to). Passive = "he was made TO DO" (with to).
Quick rule
MAKE/LET/HAVE + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO. GET/ALLOW/PERMIT + object + TO-INFINITIVE. Passive of MAKE: "was made TO do" (TO appears). Nuances: make = to compel. Let = to permit (informal). Allow = to permit (formal). Permit = to authorize (official). Have = to commission. Get = to persuade/get someone to.
Did you know?
Causative verbs are one of the most studied grammatical phenomena in comparative typological linguistics, because almost all the world's languages have ways to express "making someone do something" but the structures differ enormously. In Spanish, "hacer" + infinitive ("lo hice salir") or "dejar" + infinitive ("lo deje salir") are the main constructions. In English, the causative system is especially rich and nuanced, with semantic differences between MAKE (force), GET (persuasion), HAVE (delegation), and LET (permission). What is linguistically fascinating is that the presence or absence of TO in the infinitive is not arbitrary — verbs without TO (make, let, have) are PURE CAUSATIVES where the causer exercises direct control over the causee's action; verbs with TO (get, allow, permit) imply that the causee retains some autonomy or choice.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
After significant negotiations, the procurement director finally managed to get the main contractor _____ the payment schedule from monthly to quarterly disbursements.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The updated security policy does not _____ visitors to enter any restricted area of the facility without a member of staff present as an authorized escort.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
MAKE/LET/HAVE + object + infinitive WITHOUT TO. GET/ALLOW/PERMIT + object + TO-INFINITIVE. Passive of MAKE: "was made TO do" (TO appears). Nuances: make = to compel. Let = to permit (informal). Allow = to permit (formal). Permit = to authorize (official). Have = to commission. Get = to persuade/get someone to.
FREQUENT ERRORS with the preposition TO: (1) "Let me to go" = INCORRECT. LET + infinitive WITHOUT TO: "Let me GO." (2) "Make him to do" = INCORRECT. MAKE + infinitive WITHOUT TO: "Make him DO." (3) "Allow him go" = INCORRECT. ALLOW + TO-INFINITIVE: "Allow him TO GO." (4) "Get him do it" = INCORRECT. GET + TO-INFINITIVE: "Get him TO DO it." PREPOSITION SUMMARY: MAKE + do (no to). LET + do (no to). HAVE + do (no to). GET + to do (WITH to). ALLOW + to do (WITH to). PERMIT + to do (WITH to). Memory rule: the three obligation/commission verbs without persuasion nuance (make, let, have) = no to. The three that imply greater independence of the agent (get, allow, permit) = with to.
THE THREE-GROUP TRICK: without "to" (make, let, have) vs with "to" (get, allow, permit). Association: MAKE + LET are "siblings" in many grammars (obligation causative vs permission causative) and both go without TO. HAVE is the third without TO. All others (get, allow, permit, encourage, force, cause, enable) go with TO. Additional trick: in the PASSIVE, MAKE recovers TO: "She was made TO work" (TO appears when the causative is passive). This is a classic exam trap. The rule: active = "make him DO" (no to). Passive = "he was made TO DO" (with to).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy