Make

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Hi,1.Popular belief in the United States is that  an early life of hardship and poverty made Abraham Lincoln  be the great leader  he was.2.Popular belief in the United States is that  an early life of hardship and poverty made Abraham Lincoln  the great leader  he was.Can 'made' be used in the above way?If so what difference in meaning arises from that in the above examples?Thanks.

Enoon · Accepted Answer

Sentence 2 is right, and sentence 1 is not. It didn't make him be anything, it made him into it.

Nsfs2 · Answer

enoonSentence 2 is right, and sentence 1 is not. It didn't make him be anything, it made him into it.

Is 'become' a possible alternative to 'be'?

If not, what is the difference between 'make into' and 'become'?

Lots of thanks.

Enoon · Answer

nsfs2Is 'become' a possible alternative to 'be'?If not, what is the difference between 'make into' and 'become'?

The verb "to make" includes "to be" or "to become" in its meaning, so they are redundant with it, not only semantically, but also idiomatically. To make somebody become something is to force him to become it. To make somebody be something is to force him to be it. That is not what happened to Abe. To make somebody something is to turn him into it.

Nsfs2 · Answer

enoon nsfs2Is 'become' a possible alternative to 'be'?If not, what is the difference between 'make into' and 'become'?The verb "to make" includes "to be" or "to become" in its meaning, so they are redundant with it, not only semantically, but also idiomatically. To make somebody become something is to force him to become it. To make somebody be something is to force him to be it. That is not what happened to Abe. To make somebody something is to turn him into it.

So, when the meaning is to 'change' we don't use the infinitive verb-which is used to mean force-is that right?

Thanks a lot.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Make is a type of verb called a "causative" verb.

It has two different uses.

1) Followed by an infinitive, it means to force.
2) Followed by a complement, it means "to naturally cause to become."

The school has awarded Professor Jones an honor "Best teacher of the year"

Professor Jones gives an acceptance speech:

"When I was a boy, my mother made (forced) me go to school every day. She made me (forced) do my homework. She made (forced) me study and read extra books. But I learned from her lessons. I learned to love reading. I loved telling others about what I had read. She made me (She was the reason for my being) the great teacher I am today. I learned from her example. She was a great teacher. "

We also have the term a "self-made" man. It describes a very successful man who attained his success all by himself, with hard work, sacrifice, and dedication.

Nsfs2 · Answer

Thank you very much for your elaborate answer.

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