Use want, ask, tell and similar verbs with a person and to ... (I want you to stay). After make and let, the verb follows without to (She made me laugh).
A I want you to ...
A man is about to leave a party. He wants to go. His friend does not agree. She doesn't want him to go. She wants him to stay.
The pattern is want + somebody + to do something:
| want | somebody | to ... |
|---|---|---|
| I want | you | to stay. |
| They want | somebody | to help them. |
| Do you want | me | to drive? |
We say I want you to be happy, not 'I want that you are happy'.
would like works the same way: Would you like me to drive?
- I want you to be happy.
- They didn't want anybody to see the present.
- Do you want me to carry that bag?
- Would you like me to carry that bag?
B ask, tell, advise, expect, persuade, teach
These verbs use the same pattern: verb + somebody + to ...
| verb | somebody | to ... | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leanne | asked | her neighbour | to feed the cat. |
| I | told | you | to wear a coat. |
| What do you | advise | me | to do? |
| We didn't | expect | them | to win. |
| I | persuaded | my dad | to buy a new phone. |
| My grandad | taught | me | to play chess. |
- Leanne asked her neighbour to feed the cat.
- I told you to wear a coat.
- What do you advise me to do?
- My grandad taught me to play chess.
C I told you to ... / I told you not to ...
Use tell somebody to ... for an instruction, and tell somebody not to ... for an instruction not to do something.
- Kate says to Mo: "Wait for me." Kate told Mo to wait for her.
- Ian says to Ruth: "Don't wait for me." Ian told Ruth not to wait for him.
- Kate told Mo to wait for her.
- Ian told Ruth not to wait for him.
- The doctor told me not to lift anything heavy.
D make and let
After make and let, there is no to: make somebody do, let somebody do.
We say She makes me laugh, not 'makes me to laugh'. We say He let me use his car, not 'let me to use'.
Let's ... (= let us) is how you suggest that other people do something with you.
- She's hilarious. She always makes me laugh.
- Our PE teacher made us run round the field in the rain.
- Ruby let me use her laptop because mine was broken.
- Come on! Let's go.
- "Shall we eat out tonight?" "No, I'm shattered. Let's get a takeaway."
Exercises
53.1 Write sentences beginning I want you ... / I don't want you ... / Do you want me ... ?
(you must help me)
I want you to help me.
I want you to help me.
(sit down, please)
I want you to sit down.
(please don't laugh)
I don't want you to laugh.
(shall I carry your bag?)
Do you want me to carry your bag?
(don't tell anybody)
I don't want you to tell anybody.
(you must ring Gareth)
I want you to ring Gareth.
53.2 Read each scene and complete the sentence.
Kieran says to you: "Come on! Let's go to the football. It'll be a good game." You say: "Oh, all right then."
Kieran persuaded me to go to the football.
Kieran persuaded me to go to the football.
You ask a man: "Where's the post office?" He says: "Turn right at the lights."
I wanted to get to the post office. A man told .
I wanted to get to the post office. A man told me to turn right at the lights.
Dawn says: "I've got a terrible cough." You say: "You should see a doctor."
Dawn had a terrible cough. I advised .
Dawn had a terrible cough. I advised her to see a doctor.
Marta is holding six bags of shopping. She says to you: "Can you help me?"
Marta had a lot of shopping. She asked .
Marta had a lot of shopping. She asked me to help her.
Liam comes to your desk. You say: "I'm busy now. Come back in an hour."
I was busy. I told .
I was busy. I told Liam to come back in an hour.
You say to Naz: "Can I borrow your pen?" Naz says: "Of course."
I needed a pen. Naz let .
I needed a pen. Naz let me borrow his pen.
You say to Bethan: "Don't ring after ten o'clock."
Bethan is going to ring me later. I told .
Bethan is going to ring me later. I told her not to ring after ten o'clock.
You ask Cerys: "Can you speak Welsh?" Cerys says: "Yes, my grandmother taught me."
Cerys's grandmother taught .
Cerys's grandmother taught her to speak Welsh.
53.3 Complete these sentences with the verbs in the box. Sometimes to is necessary (to go / to wait etc.); sometimes to is not necessary (go / wait etc.).
arrivebuyeatexplaingettellthinkusewaitwalk
It's late and it's dark. I don't want you to walk home on your own.
It's late and it's dark. I don't want you to walk home on your own.
I didn't understand the question, so I asked the teacher it.
I didn't understand the question, so I asked the teacher to explain it.
"Shall we go in now?" "No, let's for the others."
"Shall we go in now?" "No, let's wait for the others."
You're early! I expected you at seven.
You're early! I expected you to arrive at seven.
Holly's parents didn't want her a motorbike.
Holly's parents didn't want her to buy a motorbike.
I'm not hungry. You can't make me it.
I'm not hungry. You can't make me eat it.
"Is that your laptop?" "No, it's Ella's. She lets me it."
"Is that your laptop?" "No, it's Ella's. She lets me use it."
Ollie can't come tonight. He asked me you.
Ollie can't come tonight. He asked me to tell you.
I'm going to the shop. Would you like me you anything?
I'm going to the shop. Would you like me to get you anything?
"He doesn't trust me." "What makes you that?"
"He doesn't trust me." "What makes you think that?"