Foundation grammar · Lesson 53 · A2

I want you to ... I told you to ...

Use want, ask, tell and similar verbs with a person and to ... (I want you to stay). After make and let, the verb follows without to (She made me laugh).

Start the lesson

14Steps · about 23 minutes

I want you to ... I told you to ...: start

In this lesson

I want you to ...A2 screens of questions
ask, tell, advise, expect, persuade, teachB2 screens of questions
I told you to ... / I told you not to ...C1 screen of questions
make and letD3 screens of questions

Point A of 4

I want you to ...

A man is about to leave a party. He wants to go. His friend does not agree. She doesn't want him to go. She wants him to stay.

The pattern is want + somebody + to do something:

want somebody to ...
I want you to stay.
They want somebody to help them.
Do you want me to drive?

We say I want you to be happy, not 'I want that you are happy'.

would like works the same way: Would you like me to drive?

  • I want you to be happy.
  • They didn't want anybody to see the present.
  • Do you want me to carry that bag?
  • Would you like me to carry that bag?

Point A · Exercise 53.1 · part 1 of 2

Write sentences beginning I want you ... / I don't want you ... / Do you want me ... ?

  1. Example

    (you must help me)

    I want you to help me.

    AnswerI want you to help me.
  2. (sit down, please)

  3. (please don't laugh)

  4. (shall I carry your bag?)

  5. (don't tell anybody)

Point A · Exercise 53.1 · part 2 of 2

Write sentences beginning I want you ... / I don't want you ... / Do you want me ... ?

  1. (you must ring Gareth)

Point B of 4

ask, tell, advise, expect, persuade, teach

These verbs use the same pattern: verb + somebody + to ...

verb somebody to ...
Leanne asked her neighbour to feed the cat.
I told you to wear a coat.
What do you advise me to do?
We didn't expect them to win.
I persuaded my dad to buy a new phone.
My grandad taught me to play chess.
  • Leanne asked her neighbour to feed the cat.
  • I told you to wear a coat.
  • What would you advise me to say?
  • My grandad taught me to play chess.

Point B · Exercise 53.2 · part 1 of 2

Read each scene and complete the sentence.

  1. Example

    Kieran says to you: "Come on! Let's go to the football. It'll be a good game." You say: "Oh, all right then."

    Kieran persuaded me to go to the football.

    AnswerKieran persuaded me to go to the football.
  2. You ask a man: "Where's the post office?" He says: "Turn right at the lights."

    I wanted to get to the post office. A man told .

  3. Dawn says: "I've got a terrible cough." You say: "You should see a doctor."

    Dawn had a terrible cough. I advised .

  4. Marta is holding six bags of shopping. She says to you: "Can you help me?"

    Marta had a lot of shopping. She asked .

  5. Liam comes to your desk. You say: "I'm busy now. Come back in an hour."

    I was busy. I told .

Point B · Exercise 53.2 · part 2 of 2

Read each scene and complete the sentence.

  1. You say to Naz: "Can I borrow your pen?" Naz says: "Of course."

    I needed a pen. Naz let .

  2. You say to Bethan: "Don't ring after ten o'clock."

    Bethan is going to ring me later. I told .

  3. You ask Cerys: "Can you speak Welsh?" Cerys says: "Yes, my grandmother taught me."

    Cerys's grandmother taught .

Point C of 4

I told you to ... / I told you not to ...

Use tell somebody to ... for an instruction, and tell somebody not to ... for an instruction not to do something.

  • Kate says to Mo: "Wait for me." Kate told Mo to wait for her.
  • Ian says to Ruth: "Don't wait for me." Ian told Ruth not to wait for him.
  • Kate told Mo to wait for her.
  • Ian told Ruth not to wait for him.
  • The doctor told me not to lift anything heavy.

Point C · Extra practice

Report each instruction with told ... to or told ... not to.

  1. Mum said to me, "Tidy your room." Mum told me my room.

  2. The nurse said to Jo, "Don't eat anything." The nurse told Jo anything.

  3. I said to Dan, "Ring me later." I told Dan me later.

Point D of 4

make and let

After make and let, there is no to: make somebody do, let somebody do.

We say She makes me laugh, not 'makes me to laugh'. We say He let me use his car, not 'let me to use'.

Let's ... (= let us) is how you suggest that other people do something with you.

  • She's hilarious. She always makes me laugh.
  • Our PE teacher made us run round the field in the rain.
  • Ruby let me use her laptop because mine was broken.
  • Come on! Let's go.
  • "Shall we eat out tonight?" "No, I'm shattered. Let's get a takeaway."

Point D · Exercise 53.3 · part 1 of 3

Complete these sentences with the verbs in the box. Sometimes to is necessary (to go / to wait etc.); sometimes to is not necessary (go / wait etc.).

Use these

arrivebuyeatexplaingettellthinkusewaitwalk

  1. Example

    It's late and it's dark. I don't want you to walk home on your own.

    AnswerIt's late and it's dark. I don't want you to walk home on your own.
  2. I didn't understand the question, so I asked the teacher it.

  3. "Shall we go in now?" "No, let's for the others."

  4. You're early! I expected you at seven.

  5. Holly's parents didn't want her a motorbike.

Point D · Exercise 53.3 · part 2 of 3

Complete these sentences with the verbs in the box. Sometimes to is necessary (to go / to wait etc.); sometimes to is not necessary (go / wait etc.).

Use these

arrivebuyeatexplaingettellthinkusewaitwalk

  1. I'm not hungry. You can't make me it.

  2. "Is that your laptop?" "No, it's Ella's. She lets me it."

  3. Ollie can't come tonight. He asked me you.

  4. I'm going to the shop. Would you like me you anything?

Point D · Exercise 53.3 · part 3 of 3

Complete these sentences with the verbs in the box. Sometimes to is necessary (to go / to wait etc.); sometimes to is not necessary (go / wait etc.).

Use these

arrivebuyeatexplaingettellthinkusewaitwalk

  1. "He doesn't trust me." "What makes you that?"

Lesson 53 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: I went to the shop to ...Back to the course

–Right