Difference between let and permit

[Tai]

Test No. incompl/inter-20 "Will or Shall?", question 10

The man on the river bank, who is good at grammar, thinks the man really wants to drown, walks on and ..........

(a) allows him drown
(b) permits him drown
(c) lets him drown
(d) lets him to drown

Test No. incompl/inter-20 "Will or Shall?", answer 10

The man on the river bank, who is good at grammar, thinks the man really wants to drown, walks on and lets him drown.

Correct answer: (c) lets him drown

Your answer was: incorrect
The man on the river bank, who is good at grammar, thinks the man really wants to drown, walks on and permits him drown.
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lets him drown

[Alan]

If you use permit, then there is a different construction as in: permits him to drown.
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English as a Second Language
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[ivy]

I really couldn't understand that why the man want to drown, does he want to die?

[ivy]

and why there's "he is good at grammar" what's it meaning?

[Tortoise]

Yeah, I also have difficulty understanding this sentence.

"thinks the man...." If there is only 1 person in this sentence, why don't we use "thinks he..."?

Tortoise.

[Alan]

Hi Ivy and Tortoise,

This is meant to be a jpke about a man who is good at grammar - he takes everything literally and when he hears the man shouting: I will drown, he thinks the man really wants to drown because to his mind the man in the water should be saying: I shall drown - I'm going to drown and then he would rescue him.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
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