correct sentence(s)

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

What about 1-4? Are they OK to use?

No. You can't say "made him not fall asleep all night" or any version of that. Instead, say "kept him awake all night" or something like that.


__________________
~R

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

Hi estrellita-bonita

Welcome on board.

Why do you think 1 and 2 are inappropriate?

Maybe 1&2 are grammatically correct, but don't sound natural to you native speakers.

Thanks for the reply.

You can make somebody do something, but we don't normally talk about making somebody not do something.

[banderas]

Originally Posted by RonBee

You can make somebody do something, but we don't normally talk about making somebody not do something.

Hi, RonBee,
in what contexts/situations can we sometimes (if at all) talk about making somebody not do something?

[e2e4]

is it maybe better to use "what" instead of "which made" and "which kept"

..what kept..

the expert's comments told him what was going to happen

but that what was going to happen kept him up actually

is my thinking right?


also

the comments the expert made = the expert's comments
5 words = 3 words

also

there is no need to say twice about his anxious saying "bothered him greatly" and "not fall asleep".
If he couldn't get asleep of course he was bothered, disturbed, having felt anxious, antsy, unsettled, etc, due to what was going to happen concerning the stock market.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by banderas

Hi, RonBee,
in what contexts/situations can we sometimes (if at all) talk about making somebody not do something?

Think instead in terms of keeping somebody from doing something.

~R