What is the difference between sentences like these:
I make it to go.
I make it go.
or
You make me to cry.
You make me cry.
-
1Welcome to ELL! Have you considered using your first best friend (Google) to reach an answer?– M.A.R.Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 12:30
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
In English, modal verbs such as CAN, WILL, the verbs MAKE, LET and also verbs of perception, for example SEE, FEEL or HEAR take verbs in the plain form. These verbs appear without the word to. For this reason:
- *You make me to cry (ungrammatical)
... is badly formed. It's ungrammatical. We need the plain form of CRY without the word to:
- You make me cry.
Some verbs in English can take another verb either in the plain form or with a to-infinitive. One example is the verb HELP:
- He helped me to carry the piano.
- He helped me carry the piano.
answered Apr 23, 2015 at 12:37
Araucaria - Not here any more.Araucaria - Not here any more.
28k4 gold badges56 silver badges123 bronze badges
-
Is there any difference between "me to carry the piano and " me carry the piano?– tadekCommented Apr 24, 2015 at 0:00
-
Mostly ditto Aracaria.
I'd add that "to " can be used to describe a state of being, as opposed to an individual action. So you can say, for example, "I live to serve", i.e. my purpose in life is to serve. Or, "I was born to love you" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNhhAEupU4g)
If you were describing, say, the creation of a robot that is designed to act sad, the robot might say to its inventor, "You made me to cry." That's the closest I can think of to a meaningful variation of your example sentence.
