Allow, permit or let?
Allow, permit and let are verbs that all have a similar meaning: ‘give permission or make it possible for somebody to do or have something’.
Permit is more formal than allow. Allow is more formal than let:
The University has established a Museums Committee to permit more formal discussion of common problems amongst its museums.
The plan for Heathrow will allow airport operator BAA to build a third, shorter runway.
Will you let me pay for the meal?
Let me show you how to open it. It’s a bit tricky.
Permit/allow someone + to do something
We use a direct object + to-infinitive after permit and allow:
[from a newspaper report about a rugby player]
He has not decided yet whether his leg injury will permit him to play this weekend.
I would not allow a child to have a TV or a computer in their room.
Let someone + do something
We use an infinitive without to after let:
[child to parent]
Why don’t you let me go? All my friends are going.
We don’t let employees use the office telephone for personal calls.
Passive with permit and allow
We often use the passive with permit and allow. Permit is often used for official public notices:
Photography is permitted for non-commercial use only.
[talking about a diet]
You’re allowed to eat as much fruit as you like.
We’re not allowed to put posters on the walls.
We don’t usually use the passive with let:
The children were allowed to do whatever they wanted.
Not:
The children were let do…
See also:
(“Allow, permit or let ?” dans English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)
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- Adjectives and adverbs
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Easily confused words
- Above or over?
- Across, over or through?
- Advice or advise?
- Affect or effect?
- All or every?
- All or whole?
- Allow, permit or let?
- Almost or nearly?
- Alone, lonely, or lonesome?
- Along or alongside?
- Already, still or yet?
- Also, as well or too?
- Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)
- Although or though?
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- Amount of, number of or quantity of?
- Any more or anymore?
- Anyone, anybody or anything?
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- Arouse or rouse?
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- Begin or start?
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- Bring, take and fetch
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- Fall or fall down?
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- Fast, quick or quickly?
- Fell or felt?
- Female or feminine; male or masculine?
- Finally, at last, lastly or in the end?
- First, firstly or at first?
- Fit or suit?
- Following or the following?
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- Get or go?
- Grateful or thankful?
- Hear or listen (to)?
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- How is …? or What is … like?
- If or when?
- If or whether?
- Ill or sick?
- Imply or infer?
- In the way or on the way?
- It’s or its?
- Late or lately?
- Lay or lie?
- Lend or borrow?
- Less or fewer?
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- Low or short?
- Man, mankind or people?
- Maybe or may be?
- Maybe or perhaps?
- Nearest or next?
- Never or not … ever?
- Nice or sympathetic?
- No doubt or without doubt?
- No or not?
- Nowadays, these days or today?
- Open or opened?
- Opportunity or possibility?
- Opposite or in front of?
- Other, others, the other or another?
- Out or out of?
- Permit or permission?
- Person, persons or people?
- Pick or pick up?
- Play or game?
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- Price or prize?
- Principal or principle?
- Quiet or quite?
- Raise or rise?
- Remember or remind?
- Right or rightly?
- Rob or steal?
- Say or tell?
- So that or in order that?
- Sometimes or sometime?
- Sound or noise?
- Speak or talk?
- Such or so?
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- Towards or toward?
- Wait or wait for?
- Wake, wake up or awaken?
- Worth or worthwhile?
- Nouns, pronouns and determiners
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Prepositions and particles
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- Beneath: meaning and use
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Mot du jour
warm-hearted
kind and loving
