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Make someone do/ Be made to do
Why write this lesson? I have already made one on the same theme test, I know that many of you have studied it, and yet, on the Forum, the same mistakes seem to be recurring... Therefore, I have deduced that you still need to work on this construction which may be tricky, at times, and practise it again and again...
'Practice makes perfect'... Let's go!
1) Subject + Make + object ( personal predicate or objective one) + infinitive without to = (active meaning)
Here, we mean that ‘we want somebody to do something [forcefully, if necessary]'
Here, a subject is taking the initiative of an action, decides it must be done, but doesn't do it himself or herself. The subject wants the action to be done by an agent ( a subject) who wouldn't do it freely. There's an idea of some constraint, or force ( from natural authority or obedience to rules, force, promises of punishments etc.)
ex : The mom makes the kids tidy up their bedrooms at the end of the afternoon.
ex : The shopkeeper made Tommy hand out the toy he had stolen.
ex : A policeman made the driver go out of his car and put his hands on it.
2) Things get a little more ‘complicated' when ‘make someone do something' is used in the passive form! It must be remembered that, spontaneously, the passive is much more naturally used in English than in French, or most other European languages...
The construction then becomes ‘to be made TO do something'.
ex : He was made to show his ID.
ex : Surprisingly, Mary was made to walk immediately after her operation.
ex : The politician was made to resign after the scandal !
Well well! You must now be ready for the test ... The test is quite long... Do not hesitate to stop and have a little rest (after saving, of course). Don't forget, this is nothing but some training to help you use the right form spontaneously!
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