Verb + object + infinitive

Rules

• Rule 1: verb + person + to + verb

  After want, ask, tell, allow, expect, encourage, remind, would like, the person is followed by to + verb. The person is always an object pronoun: me, you, him, her, us, them.

  Pattern: want / ask / tell … + me + to + verb

  Example: The coach asked us to warm up.

  Example: Please remind me to call Grandma.

• Rule 2: Negative → not to

  To make it negative, put not before to. Don't use don't!

  Pattern: tell / ask … + person + not to + verb

  Example: The guide told us not to feed the pigeons.

  Example: I asked my brother not to touch my puzzle.

• Rule 3: make / let + person + base verb (help: both)

  make (cause or force) and let (allow) are special: the person is followed by the base verb, without to. help accepts both: help me (to) carry — in American English the form without to is more common.

  Pattern: make / let + person + verb (NO to)

  Example: The sad movie made me cry.

  Example: Our neighbor let us pick some cherries.

• Rule 4: Passive → be made to / be allowed to

  In the passive, make gets its to back: be made to do. let has no passive; use be allowed to instead.

  Pattern: was / were made to + verb · was / were allowed to + verb

  Example: We were made to wait in line for an hour.

  Example: The kids were allowed to stay up late.

Common mistakes

• My mom wants that I study more. → My mom wants me to study more.

  want takes object + to, not a that-clause.

• The teacher let us to leave early. → The teacher let us leave early.

  let is never followed by to.

• We were let to go home. → We were allowed to go home.

  let has no passive; use be allowed to.