let: ✓ let someone do something ✗ make someone do something

By | September 20, 2016
If you love somebody, let them know every day.
Se ami qualcuno, faglielo sapere tutti i giorni.
– Billy Bob Thornton
Let me see!
*Make* me see!
Fammi vedere!
If someone or something lets us do something, they allow us or give us the chance to do it. If they don’t let us do something, they don’t allow us or give us the chance to do it. For example:
✓ My job lets me work wherever I want.
✗ My job *makes* me work wherever I want.
Il mio lavoro mi permette di lavorare dove voglio.
✓ There are certain programmes I don’t let my kids watch.
✗ There are certain programmes I don’t *make* my kids watch.
Ci sono certi programmi che non faccio vedere ai miei figli.
If someone or something makes us do something, they oblige us or make it necessary for us to do something. If they don’t make us do something, they don’t oblige us or make it necessary for us to do it. For example:
✓ The guard made me get off the train because I’d forgotten to stamp my ticket.
Il controllore mi ha fatto scendere dal treno perché mi ero dimenticato di convalidare il biglietto.
✓ Luckily my teacher didn’t make me write my essay again.
Per fortuna il prof non mi ha fatto riscrivere il tema.

Now try the quiz below! There are TEN answers. The passmark is 80% (8 out of 10). Click on the blue arrows to go to the next or previous question. You can check your answers immediately or when you’ve finished the quiz.

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