Try an exercise about 'let' and 'make' here.
Let
Subject + let + object + bare infinitive (infinitive without 'to')'Let' can mean 'allow' or 'give permission':
- David's mother let him use her car.
- Our boss let us leave early.
- This student card lets you book discount flights.
- You can buy a pass which lets you visit all the art galleries more cheaply.
- Let's go to the cinema tonight.
- Let's get some coffee.
Make
Subject + make + object + bare infinitive (infinitive without 'to')'Make' can mean 'force someone to do something that he or she doesn't want to do':
- His mother made him clean his room.
- The teacher made us study very hard.
- That film made me cry.
- My brother often makes me laugh.
- She was made to work on Saturday, even though she hated working at weekends.
- Her story made me really happy.
- The traffic jam made us late.
Choosing 'let' or 'make'
Remember, we use 'let' when we mean 'allow'. It's usually something the person wants to do:- My boss let me leave early (I wanted to leave early, and the boss gave me permission).
- My boss made me stay late (I didn't want to stay, but I had to).
- My brother made me laugh
We can only use 'make + object + adjective'. We can't use 'let' in this way.
Try an exercise about 'let' and 'make' here.