Make, let & be allowed to

 Make, let and be allowed to are used to talk about what someone must do (because it is demanded by another person) or has permission to do (because it is given by another person).

Make

We use the form MAKE SOMEONE + INFINITIVE to show that an action must be done and that the person has no choice. The past form is MADE SOMEONE + INFINITIVE. For example:

The teacher makes us study very hard.
Parents shouldn’t make their children play sports if they don’t want to.
When I was small, my mother made me eat all my vegetables.

Let & be allowed to

We use the form LET SOMEONE + INFINITIVE or BE ALLOWED TO + INFINITIVE to show that someone has a choice to do or not do something. The difference is that LET is active, and BE ALLOWED TO is passive. The past forms are LET SOMEONE + INFINITIVE and WAS/WERE ALLOWED TO
+ INFINITIVE. For example:

The teacher lets us leave early on Friday.
If I ate all my vegetables, my mother let me watch television. (past tense)
My wife said I’m allowed to go to the football match!
I wasn’t allowed to go to the park alone when I was a child.

Glossary

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