To make somebody do something: How and When to Use in English
Quick and simple lesson to help you understand grammar better.
Test your English and learn even more with Gymglish.
TEST YOUR ENGLISH
Free trial and no commitment to buy
4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot
More than 8 million learners worldwide
To make somebody do something
To make + object + verb in the infinitive without to (= to cause someone do something):
This song makes me think of my boyfriend. This song causes me to think of my boyfriend.
This meeting was so long, it made me miss my flight. This meeting was so long, it caused me to miss my flight.
What made him change his mind? What caused him to change his mind?
Exercise 1
'Hey, Polly, did you hear that Bruno made Kevin his car for ten dollars?'
'Hey, Polly, did you hear that Bruno made Kevin clean his car for ten dollars?'
clean: 'Clean' is the correct choice. In constructions like this 'to make somebody do something', the verb 'to clean' must be put in the infinitive form without 'to'. To 'make someone do something' is a common construction in English, expressing that one person has asked or demanded that another perform a service or action. Example: My boss made me study English using an online language program.
cleaning: 'Cleaning' cannot follow a conjugated form of the verb 'to make'.
to clean: 'To clean' cannot follow a conjugated form of the verb 'to make'.
cleans: 'Cleans' cannot follow a conjugated form of the verb 'to make'.
Exercise 2
Bruno: Hello, Icarus. Have you the work I asked of you?
Icarus: Uhm. I have been unable to complete your requested task, sir.
Bruno: And why is that?
Icarus: Well, because Kevin me balance his checkbook, again.
*to balance one's checkbook: to verify one's checking account
Icarus: Uhm. I have been unable to complete your requested task, sir.
Bruno: And why is that?
Icarus: Well, because Kevin me balance his checkbook, again.
*to balance one's checkbook: to verify one's checking account
Bruno: Hello, Icarus. Have you done 1 the work I asked of you?
Icarus: Uhm. I have been unable to complete your requested task, sir.
Bruno: And why is that?
Icarus: Well, because Kevin made 2 me balance his checkbook, again.
*to balance one's checkbook: to verify one's checking account
Icarus: Uhm. I have been unable to complete your requested task, sir.
Bruno: And why is that?
Icarus: Well, because Kevin made 2 me balance his checkbook, again.
*to balance one's checkbook: to verify one's checking account
1 done: We use the verb 'to do' when talking about 'work'. This is the best choice here.
1 made: 'To make' is not used with 'work'. One 'does' work and does not 'make' it.
2 made: We use the verb 'to make' in constructions such as this. 'To make someone do something'.
2 did: We cannot use the verb 'to do' in this construction. One makes somebody do something.
Exercise 3
When he was a child, Kevin's brothers often him to give them his lunch money. But, after they had all grown up, Kevin took his revenge. He took them all to court and them pay back all the money they had taken, plus interest.
When he was a child, Kevin's brothers often forced 1 him to give them his lunch money. But, after they had all grown up, Kevin took his revenge. He took them all to court and made 2 them pay back all the money they had taken, plus interest.
1 forced: We use 'forced' in this case because the main verb 'give' is preceded by 'to'. This is the best choice here.
1 made: We cannot use 'made' in this case because the main verb 'give' is preceded by 'to'.
2 made: We use 'made' in this case because the verb 'pay' is not preceded by 'to'.
2 forced: We cannot use 'forced' in this case because the verb 'pay' is not preceded by 'to'.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate phrase.
Theater Attendant: Sir, I'm going you and your friends to leave.
Penguin King: But I am king of the penguins, and this is my faithful entourage.
Theater Attendant: I don't care if you're the king of France. You've been causing trouble since you got here. We've already had several complaints about cigar smoke, loud hooting and throwing popcorn.
Penguin King: But I have diplomatic immunity! And my fur makes it look like I'm wearing a tuxedo. Does that not impress you?
Theater Attendant: Look, pal. What's it going to be? Are you going to leave? Or do I you ?
Penguin King: Ha ha ha! You do not scare me. I laugh at your threats. Ha ha!
Theater Attendant: Fine... Ok, Laura, send down the polar bear!
Theater Attendant: Sir, I'm going you and your friends to leave.
Penguin King: But I am king of the penguins, and this is my faithful entourage.
Theater Attendant: I don't care if you're the king of France. You've been causing trouble since you got here. We've already had several complaints about cigar smoke, loud hooting and throwing popcorn.
Penguin King: But I have diplomatic immunity! And my fur makes it look like I'm wearing a tuxedo. Does that not impress you?
Theater Attendant: Look, pal. What's it going to be? Are you going to leave? Or do I you ?
Penguin King: Ha ha ha! You do not scare me. I laugh at your threats. Ha ha!
Theater Attendant: Fine... Ok, Laura, send down the polar bear!
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate phrase.
Theater Attendant: Sir, I'm going to have to ask 1 you and your friends to leave.
Penguin King: But I am king of the penguins, and this is my faithful entourage.
Theater Attendant: I don't care if you're the king of France. You've been causing trouble since you got here. We've already had several complaints about cigar smoke, loud hooting and throwing popcorn.
Penguin King: But I have diplomatic immunity! And my fur makes it look like I'm wearing a tuxedo. Does that not impress you?
Theater Attendant: Look, pal. What's it going to be? Are you going to leave? Or do I have to make 2 you leave 3?
Penguin King: Ha ha ha! You do not scare me. I laugh at your threats. Ha ha!
Theater Attendant: Fine... Ok, Laura, send down the polar bear!
Theater Attendant: Sir, I'm going to have to ask 1 you and your friends to leave.
Penguin King: But I am king of the penguins, and this is my faithful entourage.
Theater Attendant: I don't care if you're the king of France. You've been causing trouble since you got here. We've already had several complaints about cigar smoke, loud hooting and throwing popcorn.
Penguin King: But I have diplomatic immunity! And my fur makes it look like I'm wearing a tuxedo. Does that not impress you?
Theater Attendant: Look, pal. What's it going to be? Are you going to leave? Or do I have to make 2 you leave 3?
Penguin King: Ha ha ha! You do not scare me. I laugh at your threats. Ha ha!
Theater Attendant: Fine... Ok, Laura, send down the polar bear!
1 to have to ask: This sentence uses several interesting constructions together: the future tense construction 'be going to', which expresses the idea of action in the near or immediate future (I am going to have to ask you). When this construction is used, 'going' must be followed by a verb in the full infinitive form (to have). Then, the construction 'to have to do something' expresses necessity or obligation of Theater Attendant to ask the Penguin King to leave. The 'have to do something' construction is also ALWAYS followed by a verb in the full infinitive form (to ask).
1 have to ask: 'Going' must be followed by a verb in the full infinitive form (to ask) in order to be grammatically correct. 'I'm going have ask' is grammatically incorrect.
1 to have ask: The 'have to do something' construction is ALWAYS followed by a verb in the full infinitive form (to ask). 'I'm going to have ask' is grammatically incorrect.
1 have ask: When using the future tense construction 'be going to', which expresses the idea of action in the near or immediate future, 'going' must be followed by a verb in the full infinitive form (to have). 'I'm going have ask' is grammatically incorrect.
2 have to make: This is the best choice here. 'Have to make you leave' expresses the Theater Attendant's obligation to use force to remove the delinquent Penguin King.
2 to have to make: Because there is no other main verb in this sentence, 'have' cannot be in the infinitive form. The verb 'to have' must be conjugated in the first person present tense form.
2 to have make: Because there is no other main verb in this sentence, 'have' cannot be in the infinitive form. The verb 'to have' must be conjugated in the first person present tense form.
2 have make: 'Make' must be in the infinitive form in order to express the necessity of the action here.
3 leave: This is the best choice here. 'To make you leave' expresses the act of forcing the Penguin King to depart.
3 to leave: We cannot use 'to leave' because of the form of the expression 'make you leave'. When using the expression 'to make someone do something' the second verb does not take the infinitive marker 'to'.
3 leaving: 'Leaving' expresses a continuous action, while the context refers to an action which has not yet happened.
3 left: 'Left' does not make sense here. It expresses a past action, while the context refers to an action that has not yet happened.
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks in the text below with either 'have', 'make' or 'do'. Remember to conjugate the verb in the correct tense.
Polly: I finally my car fixed this past weekend.
Susie: That's exciting. Did you your boyfriend it?
Polly: Are you kidding? He has trouble changing the channel on the TV. I wouldn't let him anywhere near my car.
Susie: This story me think of this one time that my own car broke down on the side of the road...
Polly: I finally my car fixed this past weekend.
Susie: That's exciting. Did you your boyfriend it?
Polly: Are you kidding? He has trouble changing the channel on the TV. I wouldn't let him anywhere near my car.
Susie: This story me think of this one time that my own car broke down on the side of the road...
Fill in the blanks in the text below with either 'have', 'make' or 'do'. Remember to conjugate the verb in the correct tense.
Polly: I finally had 1 my car fixed this past weekend.
Susie: That's exciting. Did you have 2 your boyfriend do 3 it?
Polly: Are you kidding? He has trouble changing the channel on the TV. I wouldn't let him anywhere near my car.
Susie: This story makes 4 me think of this one time that my own car broke down on the side of the road...
Polly: I finally had 1 my car fixed this past weekend.
Susie: That's exciting. Did you have 2 your boyfriend do 3 it?
Polly: Are you kidding? He has trouble changing the channel on the TV. I wouldn't let him anywhere near my car.
Susie: This story makes 4 me think of this one time that my own car broke down on the side of the road...
1 had: We often use the verb 'have' in passive constructions to say that 'something was done by someone' (Polly's car was fixed by a mechanic). This construction uses 'have' + object + past participle. Another example: 'We had our living room painted by a professional'.
2 have: This is an acceptable choice here. To 'have someone do something' is a common construction in English, expressing that one person has asked or demanded that another perform a service or action. Note: 'Did you MAKE your boyfriend do it?' is also an acceptable choice here. 'To make someone do something' has a more forceful tone than 'to have someone do something'.
3 do: Susie is referring to the act of 'repairing' or 'fixing' Polly's car. In this construction, we use the verb 'do' to replace the verb 'fix', which was introduced in the previous sentence, and use the infinitive form of the verb. 'Do' is often used to replace verbs or even entire clauses which appear earlier in a text or conversation. For example: 'Have you cleaned your room? No I haven't done it yet'.
4 makes: The construction 'to make someone do something' is often used with an impersonal subject (such as 'it' or 'that', referring to an idea or previous statement). Susie is saying that Polly's story 'causes' Susie to think of her own previous car troubles. Another way to express this same idea would be 'Your story reminds me of this one time...'.
Still facing difficulties with 'To make somebody do something'? Improve your English with Gymglish's English lessons - try our online English course for free now and receive a free level assessment!
What our users say:
Find out about other grammar rules. Improve your English further and test Gymglish, online English lessons.
Tips for learning 'To make somebody do something'? Share them with us!
