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Learn when let sounds natural for giving permission, how it differs from allow, and how to talk about rules and personal choices.
Vanessa explains how to use let to give permission and how it differs from the more formal allow. The lesson is useful for talking about family rules, children’s activities, personal choices, and allowing yourself to rest. Rather than giving a long grammar lecture, she builds meaning through everyday examples and repeats the patterns in full sentences.
She begins with a childhood example: her mother didn’t let her have dessert until she had eaten vegetables. The pattern is didn’t let + person + base verb. It is not followed by to: say didn’t let me have, not didn’t let me to have. Vanessa contrasts this conversational wording with allow me to have, which is grammatical but sounds more formal in this family context. For rules and restrictions, she gives another useful pattern: I’m not allowed to do that. The passive form allowed often describes what a rule permits, while let is usually casual and natural in everyday conversation.
Next, Vanessa describes giving another person permission: I let him go to the movies. She clarifies that this example is about a child and restates the idea as I gave him permission. The pattern can also refer to yourself. I need to let myself relax more means giving yourself permission or time to rest. She extends this idea to a diet and jokes that the frequency of a treat is up to the listener. It’s up to you is a flexible way to leave a decision with someone else.
To practise, learners can answer Vanessa’s questions: What did your parents let you do as a child? What were you not allowed to do? What should you let yourself do now? Useful frames include My parents let me…, I wasn’t allowed to…, and I need to let myself…. Notice that let is followed by a person and a base verb, while allow can take a person followed by to and a verb. The examples are personal and informal; allow may fit official rules or more formal situations better. Make a new sentence from your own life to practise each pattern.
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Introduction to let as a natural alternative to allow.
Hi, I'm Vanessa from Speak English with Vanessa. . Let's get started. You probably already know the word allow, but today I want to give you another word that you can : let. Let's talk about some sample situations so that you can use this as naturally as possible.
Try it: Make a sentence using one of the phrases from this section.
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Showing 12 of 12 phrases
Introduction to let as a natural alternative to allow. · expression
Give yourself permission to enjoy the lesson.
Tone and use: Warm and encouraging. Use let + yourself + base verb to describe allowing your own action.
May not fit: It can sound emphatic for actions unrelated to permission.
Example“Let yourself take a proper break this weekend.”
Introduction to let as a natural alternative to allow. · expression
Learn a word and include it among the language you know.
Tone and use: Neutral; common in language learning. Use it when talking about learning new words.
May not fit: Learn a new word is simpler in casual speech.
Example“I’m trying to add useful phrases to my vocabulary.”
A childhood dessert rule demonstrates a negative permission pattern. · expression
Did not permit me to eat dessert.
Tone and use: Neutral; describes a restriction. Use didn’t let + person + base verb.
May not fit: Do not add to after let.
Example“My parents didn’t let me stay out late on school nights.”
A childhood dessert rule demonstrates a negative permission pattern. · expression
Except if or only if I had first eaten vegetables.
Tone and use: Neutral and explanatory. Use unless to introduce a condition.
May not fit: Avoid another negative if it makes the condition confusing.
Example“We won’t leave unless everyone is ready.”
Allow can describe rules; let is often casual in daily speech. · expression
Not permitted to do something, often because of a rule.
Tone and use: Neutral; common when stating restrictions. Use be not allowed to + base verb to describe a restriction.
May not fit: Can’t is shorter when the context is clear.
Example“We’re not allowed to park in front of the entrance.”
Allow can describe rules; let is often casual in daily speech. · expression
Usually, but not in every case.
Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use it for general patterns with exceptions.
May not fit: Do not use it when you mean every time.
Example“Most of the time, I take the train to work.”
A movie example shows how let gives another person permission. · expression
Permit him to go and watch a movie.
Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use let + person + base verb for permission.
May not fit: Do not add to after let.
Example“I let my daughter choose the music for the drive.”
A movie example shows how let gives another person permission. · expression
Allowed him to do something.
Tone and use: Neutral; more explicit than let him. Use it to emphasize that approval was granted.
May not fit: It may sound formal if repeated where let is enough.
Example“Her manager gave her permission to leave early.”
The lesson uses let for allowing yourself to rest or choose a treat. · expression
Give myself more permission or time to rest.
Tone and use: Reflective and personal. Use let myself + base verb for allowing your own action.
May not fit: I should relax more can be more direct if permission is not implied.
Example“After a busy week, I need to let myself sleep in.”
The lesson uses let for allowing yourself to rest or choose a treat. · expression
You can decide; the choice is yours.
Tone and use: Informal and flexible; can be playful. Use it when leaving a decision to someone else.
May not fit: It may sound dismissive if someone expects advice.
Example“We can eat now or after the movie—it’s up to you.”
Vanessa invites viewers to practise with personal examples. · expression
Feel pleased or eager about something expected in the future.
Tone and use: Warm and positive. Use look forward to + noun or -ing form.
May not fit: After to, use a noun or verb ending in -ing.
Example“I look forward to seeing your project next week.”
Vanessa invites viewers to practise with personal examples. · expression
Make as much effort as I can.
Tone and use: Friendly and reassuring. Use it to promise sincere effort without guaranteeing success.
May not fit: It does not promise that a task will definitely succeed.
Example“I’ll try my best to get you an answer by tomorrow.”
Knowledge check
Use it in a sentence · “Let yourself enjoy this lesson”