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Let and Leave

Basics

The verb leave conjugates I leave, I left, I have left. Its core meaning it to move away from a thing, a person or a place, which stays behind. It takes a noun as its object:

I will leave the book on the table.
We left the children at home with a childminder.
I left the house.

The verb let conjugates I let, I let, I have let. It means 'allow' or 'cause'. It governs a clause (denoted here with []):

I let [him eat the cake]. (I allowed him to eat the cake.)

Many learners of English wrongly use let when they mean leave:

Error Correct form
**I will let the book on the table. I will leave the book on the table.

Details

The clause governed by let, has the accusative plus infinitive formation: the subject is put into the accusative case, and the verb is converted into an infinitive(without to):

Original sentence:
Subject (nominative) verb (3S simple non-past) object
He eats the cake.

With let:
Main clause Subordinate clause
Subject
(nominative)		 verb
(simple past)		 subject
(accusative)		 verb
(infinitive without to)		 object
(accusative)
I let [him eat the cake].


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