To LEAVE ? To LET ?

sometimes [ often ] one instead of the other, I'll start with the one you

appreciate the less... 

It is also the less transparent... 

I) To LEAVE, LEFT, LEFT :

a) LEAVE : abandon in a certain place, or a certain state, leave something for somebody. 

- Don't forget to leave the keys for your brother, please...

- Oh, dear! I've left my ID at the shop and will have to go back.

'To leave' may be built with an indirect (personal) complement introduced by for: 

- Have you left us anything?  Have you left anything for us?

b) In the past participle, ‘to be left' means: ' remain '.

- 'Mom, I have no socks left in my drawer...'

c) 'LEAVE' often means ‘to be unable to recall' :

- I've left my ring on the basin of the restaurant!

II) To LET, LET, LET:  looks easier to you, and very 'friendly' since its three forms

(infinitive, preterite and past participle) are the same... 

In fact, the main difficulty with this verb is to know what form to put behind it.

a) LET + DOC + Verb in the infinitive WITHOUT TO: 

- I was surprised, he didn't let me pay...

b) LET + infinitive WITHOUT TO expresses the idea of a given permission. 

- I let Julia sleep at Emily's for the first time, tonight. 

c) LET + DOC + infinitive WITHOUT TO: expresses a proposition,  a suggestion.

- Let me see your story, and I'll give you my opinion. 

d) 'DON'T + imperative expresses  a familiar style.

'Don't let me be misunderstood...'

III) IDIOMS: 

 - To let go (of) : You have too much stress ... just let go a little...

- To let slip : to mention, to say involuntarily: he let slip that important piece of information.

- To let know :  I'll let you know when I'm ready.

 - Leave her alone ! : to allow (someone) to be by himself or herself

- A leave of absence : permission to be absent from duty, employment, service, etc.

- To take a French leave :    an unauthorized departure.

- Leave well enough alone : to leave things as they are 

 There you are! I hope you won't mix up these two verbs again! 

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1. 'I'm awfully sorry! I can't come tonight... My parents don't letleftleaveI don't know go out... I'm grounded!'



2. 'Will you leftleaveletI don't know me speak, please... I want to tell my story myself...'



3. 'Yes, they got divorced. Paul leftleaveleftI don't know his wife last summer...'



4. 'They didn't leftletleaveI don't know me play with them and said I was too little...'



5. 'He locked his room, but leaveleftletI don't know all his belongings inside!'



6. 'What time does your train leaveleftletI don't know ? I'll drive you to the station.'



7. The teacher refused to letleaveleftI don't know me go before the end of the test, though I had finished it.



8. 'You can leaveleftletI don't know the letter for your sister here. I'll give it to her tomorrow.'



9. 'Let's letleaveleftI don't know our son Ted drive your car, for once. You know he's careful. '



10. 'Did the client letleftleaveI don't know his phone number so that we can call him in two days?'