English Grammar question?

Question

In the following sentence: "He made his children do their homework every afternoon." - why isn't it "to do"? What rule explains when you use the 'to' when there's an infinitive and when not to? Thanks!

Answer 1

English has two forms of the infinitive - the full infinitive (to do, to see, to walk) and the bare infinitive (the infinitive without the 'to' - do, see, walk). The full infinitive is more common, but there are some specific uses of the bare infinitive. Certain verbs (hear, see, make, and let are common examples) are followed by the bare infinitive:



I heard him speak.

I saw him run.

I make them do their homework.

I let them go.



'Help' is an unusual verb. It may be followed by either the bare or the full infinitive:



I helped him fix his car.

I helped him to fix his car.



Both of those are correct grammar.



The link below has a good discussion of this point.

Answer 2

this is why English is such a difficult language to learn! the word 'to' is not needed in this sentence, it is talking about the children doing their homework, the only way 'to' would be in it is if it said something like 'he asked his children to do their homework every afternoon'. just because 'do' is in the sentence, doesn't mean 'to' will also be in it!

Answer 3

Dollhaus' answer is wonderful and well planned.

I'd like to stress the idea that: 'make':

1. a) In active sentences it has not 'to': He made me obey him.

b) In passive it does take the 'to': I was made to obey him.

2. let has no 'to'



The above + what Dollhaus has written

Answer 4

"to" as an infinitive marker:



1.)

used with the base form of a verb to indicate that the verb is in the infinitive, in particular

• expressing purpose or intention : I set out to buy food | we tried to help | I am going to tell you a story.

• expressing an outcome, result, or consequence : he was left to die | he managed to escape.

• expressing a cause : I'm sorry to hear that.

• indicating a desired or advisable action : I'd love to go to France this summer | we asked her to explain | the leaflet explains how to start a recycling program.

• indicating a proposition that is known, believed, or reported about a specified person or thing : a house that people believed to be haunted.

• ( about to) forming a future tense with reference to the immediate future : he was about to sing.

• after a noun, indicating its function or purpose : a chair to sit on | something to eat.

• after a phrase containing an ordinal number : the first person to arrive.



2.)

used without a verb following when the missing verb is clearly understood : he asked her to come but she said she didn't want to.



- - - - - - - -



In your sentence, the criteria mentioned above are not fulfilled of the verb "made", so "to" is not used.

Answer 5

You don't need the "to" because you are not using the infinitive of the verb. The verb "to do" is conjugated with "children". When you conjugate it, you say "children do", not "children to do."

Answer 6

we're doing that in class right now but i donno the rule yet. and "to" doesn't really belong in that sentence anyway cuz it really wouldn't make sense.