MAKING and HELPING

Positive verbs from the MAKING type refer to the Causer (main clause subject) doing something so that the complement clause subject becomes involved in the activity referred to by that clause. For verbs from the HELPING type the Helper (again, main clause subject) joins in with the complement clause subject to bring about some event. Both of these semantic specifications are compatible only with a Modal (FOR) TO construction, and one where the for is omitted.

Both main and complement clause subjects are typically human, although either can be inanimate, e.g. The flooded river forced/caused me to change my plans, and He made/let the marble roll into the hole. The Causer or Helper is unlikely to be coreferential with complement clause subject; when it is, the latter cannot be omitted, e.g. I made/let myself eat the chocolates, not *I made/let eat the chocolates.

Help may omit to, implying a direct link between the referents of main and complement clause verbs, or retain it, in the case of an indirect link. Make and let imply a direct link and must omit to in an active sentence. As an illustration, compare let with permit and allow, which do take to since they can both refer to indirect sanction, e.g. Standing orders don’t allow/permit you to enter the hangars. One could scarcely say *Standing orders don’t let you enter the hangars, although The Squadron Leader won’t let you enter the hangars is fine since it relates to direct interaction between Causer and complement clause subject.

As mentioned, we would—on semantic grounds—expect force to omit the to, whereas it always retains it; and we would expect the causative sense of have to retain the to, whereas it always omits it.

Negative verbs from the MAKING type take a (FROM) ING complement, in keeping with their meaning. As it was described, the from can be omitted—in much the same way that to can be omitted after help—when direct means of coercion are employed.

Ensure stands out from other MAKING verbs in that it can simply refer to the ‘Causer’ checking the fact of something being in a certain state; it may not matter who put it in that state. This meaning of ensure demands a THAT complement, referring to an ‘assertable event or state’, e.g. She ensured that all the windows were open.