UNIT53 Make, Have, Let, Help, and Get
Grammar Explanations
1. Use make, have, and let followed by object + base form of the verb to talk about things that someone can require, cause, or permit
another person to do.
You can also use make to mean “cause to.”
Examples
 1. The teacher makes his students do homework every night.(He requires them to do homework.)
 2. He has them take responsibility for their own learning.(He causes them to take responsibility.)
 3. He lets them choose their own essay topics.(He permits them to choose their own essay topics.)
 4. This will make you become a better student.(This will cause you to become a better student.)
2. Help can be followed by either:
 Object + base form of the verb
Or
 Object + infinitive
The meaning is the same
USAGE NOTE: Help + base form of the verb is more common.
Examples

She helped me understand the homework.
or
 She helped me to understand the homework.
3. Get has a similar meaning to make and have, but it is followed by object + infinitive, not the base form of the verb.
Examples
The teacher got us to stay a litter later. Not The teacher got us stay a little later.(The teacher persuaded us to stay a little later.)
She always gets me to do my best.(She always persuades me to do my best.)
1. TRUE OR FALSE Read each numbered sentence. Write T (True) or F (False) for the statement that follows.
1.My teacher made me rewrite the report.
_____I wrote the report again.
2.Ms. Trager let us use our dictionaries during the test.
_____We had to use our dictionaries.
3.Mr. Goldberg had us translate a short story.
_____We translated a short story.
4.Paulo helped Meng do her homework.
_____Paulo did Meng’s homework for her.
5.Ms. Bates got the director to arrange a class trip.
_____The director arranged a class trip.
6.Professor Washington let us choose our own topic for our term paper.
_____We didn’t choose our own topic.
2. CHOOSE Circle the correct words to complete this article about Jaime Escalante.
Miracle Teacher
When Jaime Escalante first arrived at Garfield High, the administration of this East L.A. high school let/made gangs of students
roam the halls and spray the walls with graffiti. However, this math teacher from Bolivia believed in his U.S. students too much to
help/let them run wild. He made/let them do massive amounts of homework, had/got them take daily quizzes, and even got/let them
to fill out daily time cards. To develop team spirit, he got/made his students do football-like cheers before class. He knew they could
succeed and would never let/get them drop out of class. Then he did the impossible. He had/let his students take the Advanced
Placement Exam, a very difficult national test. When his students passed, the testing company suspected them of cheating. To prove
their innocence, Escalante had/got them take the test again.
Again, everyone passed. How did Escalante work these miracles? In the words of a student, Escalante work these miracles? In the
words of a student, Escalante “let/made us feel powerful , that we could do anything.”
3. SUMMARIZE Read each number statement. Complete the summary with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses. Choose
between affirmative and negative forms.
1. MS. ALLEN: Pablo, you can rewrite this composition, but only if you want to.
SUMMARY: She_________________________ his composition. (make / rewrite)
2. MS.ALLEN: I know you prefer working alone, Ana, but you really need to work in a group today.
SUMMARY: She _________________________in a group. (make / work)
3. MS.ALLEN: Listen, everyone! No dictionaries during the test, please. You should be able to guess the meaning from context.
SUMMARY: She _________________________dictionaries. (let / use)
4. MS.ALLEN: Fernando, could you do me a favor and clean the board before you leave?
SUMMARY: She _________________________the board. (have / clean)
5. MS.ALLEN: Jean-Paul, put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and say “th-, thorn.” Yes! That’s it!
SUMMARY: She _________________________an English th. (get / pronounce)
6. MS.ALLEN: Greta, please use English in class!
SUMMARY: She _________________________in German. (let / speak)
7. MS.ALLEN: Olga, you can take the test in the classroom. Just move your desk to a corner.
SUMMARY: She _________________________ the room. (make / leave)
4. EDIT Read this student’s journal entry. Find and correct seven mistakes in the use of make, have, let, help, and get. The first mistake
is already corrected.
When I was a teenager, my parents never let me to play until I had finished all my homework. They even made me helping my
brothers with their homework before I could have any fun. On the one hand, they made me became too serious. I wish they had let
me to have a little more fun. When I become a parent, I want to have my child learns responsibility, but also I would want to let he or
she have fun. As Ben Franklin said, “All work and no play makes Jack become a dull boy.” I want to avoid that mistake.
SelfTest IX
SECTION ONE
Circle the letter of the correct answer to complete each sentence.
EXAMPLE:
Jennifer never
B
coffee.
(A) drink
(C) is drinking
(B) drinks
(D) was drinking
1.Maria’s going to stop _____dinner, so she may be late.
(A) eating
(C) to eat
(B) for eating
(D) eat
2.My glasses are in my book bag, but I don’t remember _____.
(A) putting
(C) I put
(B) to put
(D) put
3.I ask him_____, but he went anyway.
(A)not to go
(C)not going
(B)to not go
(D) he doesn’t go
4._____in a foreign country is sometimes difficult.
(A)I live
(C)live
(B)living
(D)lives
5.He’s not used to _____ up so early.
(A)wake
(C)wakes
(B)waken
(D)waking
6.We’re eighteen, so we’re _____vote.
(A)too old to
(C) old enough to
(B)young enough to
(D)old enough for
7.I don’t think Tom enjoyed _____ me study for the test.
(A)helping
(C) helped
(B)to help
(D)helps
8.I bought this new software _____Chinese.
(A)for learning
(C)to learn
(B)learning
(D)learned
9.We got a new card holder _____ lose our credit cards.
(A)in order not to
(C)not to
(B)not
(D)for not
10.It isn’t difficult _____this textbook.
(A)understand
(C)for understanding
(B)in order to understand
(D)to understand
11.Are you ready? It’s time _____.
(A)for going
(C)going
(B)to go
(D)go
12.I resented _____that. He could have been more polite.
(A)he said
(C)his saying
(B)he saying
(D)him to say
13.I talked to the students about working harder, but I couldn’t _____ them to study.
(A)make
(C)got
(B)get
(D)let
14.My mother_____ do my homework or I can’t go out.
(A)makes me
(C)gets me
(B)helps me
(D)lets me
SECTION TWO
Each sentence has four underlined words or phrases. The four underlined parts of the sentence are marked A, B, C, and D. Circle the
letter of the one underlined word or phrase that is NOT CORRECT.
EXAMPLE:
Mike usually drives to school, but today he walks.
A
B
C
B
C
B
C
B
C
B
C
B
C
A
B
C
A
B
C
A
B
C
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
D
23.Getting enough sleep is important in order not fall asleep in class.
B
C
B
C
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
D
25.I’m trying to persuade my sister to drive, but I can’t get her do it.
C
A
D
24.Let’s stop to watch so much TV so that we can read or go out instead.
B
B
D
22.I forgot buying gas, but I got to a gas station before I ran out.
A
A
D
21.I know you’re too busy to stay, but I look forward to see you again.
A
D
D
20.Hans is only fourteen, but he seems enough old to stay out until ten.
A
C
D
19.In order to not forget things, I put a string around my finger.
A
B
D
18.Get more exercise appears to be the best way to lose weight.
A
A
D
17.I succeeded in to find a job, so my parents didn’t make me go to college.
A
C (D)
D
16.Most students appreciate their principal’s try to improve school conditions.
A
B
D
15.I decided changing jobs because my boss makes me work overtime.
A
A
D