5
Unit 5: Let and allow
Other ways to say 'Let's go!'
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- 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
- 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
- 3 If or whether?
- 4 5 ways to use 'would'
- 5 Let and allow
- 6 Passive voice
- 7 Unless
- 8 Mixed conditionals
- 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
- 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
- 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
- 12 The continuous passive
- 13 Future perfect
- 14 Need + verb-ing
- 15 Have something done
- 16 Wish
- 17 Word stress
- 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
- 19 Passive reporting structures
- 20 The subjunctive
- 21 When and if
- 22 Inversion
- 23 Phrasal verbs
- 24 The future
- 25 Modals in the past
- 26 Narrative tenses
- 27 Phrasal verb myths
- 28 Conditionals review
- 29 Used to - review
- 30 Linking words of contrast
Grammar Reference
Let and allow
The verbs let and allow have similar meanings – both are related to giving permission. But they're not used in exactly the same way.
Let and allow are both followed by nouns or object pronouns. 'Let' takes an infinitive without to, and 'allow' takes an infinitive with to. Both can be made negative with an auxiliary verb, and allow is often used in the passive form.
Form (allow in passive)
Subject + to be + allowed (past participle)
Take note
Here's another useful tip. In the active voice, allow takes the infinitive + to, but let does not.
- They let him leave early to go to the doctor.
- She let her brother borrow the car.
- They allowed him to leave early to go to the doctor.
- She allowed her brother to borrow the car.