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Part 2 ยท Episode 51 B1-B2

Let Me Help

๐Ÿ“ let/make/help + infinitive (causative verbs)

Mahatma Gandhi ยท 1930-1947: Gandhi's nonviolent influence ๐Ÿ“– 5 min read

Episode 51: Let Me Help

let/make/help + infinitive โ€” Mahatma Gandhi, 1930-1947 (B1-B2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: Causative verbs (let, make, help) show one person causing or allowing another to do something, using infinitive without “to.”

Form: let/make + object + bare infinitive (no “to”); help + object + bare infinitive OR to-infinitive

Example 1: Gandhi let people choose their own path to resistance.

Example 2: His example made millions believe in nonviolence.

Common mistake: Wrong: He let me to go. Better: He let me go. (no “to” after let/make)

The Challenge

Luna read a news article: “The leader made people to believe in change.” That sounded wrong. “Made people believe”? Or “let people to believe”? She knew these verbs were different from normal ones, but the pattern confused her. The watch glowed with quiet power. Professor Wisdom appeared, wearing simple white cloth. “Leadership,” he said, “is not about forcing or commanding. It’s about letting, making, helping. Three verbs. Three kinds of influence. Let me show you a man who mastered all three without ever raising a weapon.”

The Journey

India, 1930. The British Empire controlled salt production and taxed it heavily, making this essential mineral unaffordable for millions of poor Indians. Gandhi, a small man in his sixties wearing homespun cloth, began walking. The Salt March. Two hundred forty miles to the sea. His message was simple: “I will not let the British government control something as basic as salt. I will make them see their own injustice.”

Thousands joined him. Gandhi never forced anyone to follow. He let people choose. “If you believe this is right,” he said, “walk with me. If you don’t, stay home. I won’t make you risk anything.” But his quiet certainty made people want to act. Farmers left their fields. Students left their schools. Even those who feared British violence helped Gandhi spread the message.

At the sea, Gandhi picked up a handful of salt, breaking British law. Watching made something shift in millions of hearts. The British authorities arrested him, expecting the movement to collapse. Instead, it exploded. People across India made their own salt. The British couldn’t arrest everyone. Gandhi had let ordinary people become heroes. He had made an empire question itself. He had helped a nation imagine freedom.

Years later, when India gained independence, Gandhi refused celebration. He had never wanted power for himself. He had only wanted to let people discover their own strength, make them believe in nonviolent resistance, and help them build something better. Three causative verbs. Three forms of influence that changed history without a single shot fired.

A British journalist once asked Gandhi, “How did you defeat an empire?” Gandhi smiled: “I didn’t defeat them. I let them see themselves clearly. That made them unable to continue. And millions of people helped by refusing to hate.”

The Deep Dive

Causative verbs express how one person influences another’s actions. “Let” means allow or permit. “Make” means force or cause. “Help” means assist. All three take a bare infinitive (without “to”) after the object. “She let me go” (not “to go”). “He made them wait” (not “to wait”). “Help” is unique โ€” both forms work: “Help me carry this” or “Help me to carry this.”

The difference in meaning matters. “Let” respects choice: “He let her decide.” “Make” removes choice: “He made her decide.” “Help” supports action: “He helped her decide.” These verbs reveal power dynamics. “My boss let me leave early” (permission). “The deadline made me work late” (compulsion). “My colleague helped me finish” (assistance).

In passive voice, these patterns shift. “I was made to wait” (infinitive with “to” returns in passive). “I was let go” (allowed to leave, or fired idiomatically). “I was helped to understand” (less common passive). Understanding these causative verbs is essential for describing influence, leadership, and interpersonal dynamics in professional English.

More Examples

History: Lincoln let the border states maintain slavery temporarily while making the Confederacy face the moral cost of their choice.

Science: Curiosity made Einstein question everything, and his teachers let him explore unconventional ideas.

Everyday: My parents let me choose my own career but made me finish my education first.

Formal: The new policy makes employees report monthly and lets managers adjust targets flexibly.

Informal: Can you help me move this weekend? I’ll let you pick the pizza toppings and make you laugh with my terrible jokes.

Contrast: “She let me go” (allowed) vs “She made me go” (forced) โ€” opposite levels of choice and agency.

Practice & Reflection

Exercises:

  1. Fill in the blank: Gandhi _ people choose nonviolence and _ the British Empire question its own morality. (let / made)

  2. Correct the mistake: The teacher made us to rewrite our essays three times.

  3. Choose and explain: “My boss __ me take Friday off.”
    a) let
    b) made

  4. Rewrite: Use “help”: “My friend assisted me in preparing for the exam.” โ†’ “__”

  5. Compare: What’s the difference between “He let me use his car” and “He made me use his car”?

  6. Your reflection: Think of someone who influenced you. Did they let you, make you, or help you do something? Write about it.

Answer Key:

  1. let / made โ€” “let” = allowed choice; “made” = caused to happen
  2. The teacher made us rewrite โ€” no “to” after causative “make”
  3. a) let โ€” permission/allowing; “made” would mean forced
  4. My friend helped me prepare (or helped me to prepare) โ€” both forms work with “help”
  5. First = permission/voluntary; second = forced/compulsion
  6. Check: Did you use let/make/help + object + bare infinitive (no “to”)?

The Lesson

Luna wrote clearly: “Gandhi let people find their own courage. His example made them believe in peace. He helped millions discover that strength doesn’t require violence.” The watch faded. She understood now. Leadership isn’t one thing. Sometimes we let โ€” we step back and trust. Sometimes we make โ€” we create conditions that demand change. Sometimes we help โ€” we support others in becoming who they’re meant to be. Three verbs. Three kinds of power. And none of them need “to.” Because real influence doesn’t push toward something. It simply is.