Allow, permit or let?

Allow, permit or let?

·         Permit/allow someone + to do something

·         Let someone + do something

·         Passive with permit and allow

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.

Warning:

We don’t usually use the passive with let:

The children were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

Not: The children were let do …

hear or Listen? That's the question today.

Seguro que más de una vez te has preguntado cual usar. hoy vamos a intentar aclarar tu duda pero ya sabes si quieres aprender ingles, Aulaglobal English School te ofrece cursos intensivos de B1 y B2 en Lorca

‘Hearing’ is an event; it is something which happens to us as a natural process. ‘Listening’ is an action; it is something we do consciously.

Compare:

hearing is an event.	listening is an action.
Suddenly I heard a noise. Someone was in the garden. Did you hear the thunder last night? [on the phone] The line is very bad. I can’t hear you.	I listenedvery carefully towhat she said and wrote it all down. Do you listen tothe radio in bed? George! Listen tome! I have something important to tell you.

Sometimes we can use either hear or listen to, depending on whether we want to emphasise the event or the action:

Did you hear that interview with David Beckham on the radio yesterday? (emphasis on the event)

Did you listen to that interview with David Beckham on the radio yesterday? (emphasis on the action)

I love hearing/listening to the sound of falling rain.

We don’t normally use hear in the continuous form. We often use hear with can:

[on an internet phone call]

I can hear you really clearly.

Not: I’m hearing you really clearly.

Warning: 

We use to after listen before an object:

Every morning I listen to my Mozart CD while I’m having breakfast. It prepares me mentally for the day.

Not: Every morning I listen my Mozart CD …

We use listen without to if we do not mention the object, or if it is a discourse marker:

Meena, listen! I don’t want you staying out late!

Listen, I was wondering if you could help me. (discourse marker beginning a new topic or phase of a conversation)

The music was beautiful. We just sat there and listened.

Turn the page

Today's Phrase

To turn the page means to leave a difficult situation behind and move on to a new period in your life. It’s more commonly used in American English.

Examples:

Joan cried a lot during her divorce. When it was over, she decided to turn the page and start partying again.

The president told the nation the war was over and asked them to turn the page and work for the reconstruction of the country.

Take note

Don't confuse this expression with to be on the same page. That phrase means 'to think in a similar way'.

Example:

The team leader organised a meeting as soon as he started in the new post. He wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page.

Interesting fact

According to the website guinnessworldrecords.com, the largest book ever printed measures 5m x 8.06m, weighs about 1500kg and has 429 pages. It was unveiled by Mshahed International Group in Dubai, UAE, on 27 February 2012.