made me work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "made me work" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that someone caused or compelled you to engage in work or a task. Example: "The project deadline was tight, and the manager really made me work to finish everything on time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sports

General

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

"They made me work".

The New York Times - Sports

"They just made me work".

The New York Times - Sports

"It really made me work.

The New York Times - Sports

"It made me work harder.

The New York Times - Sports

"But it made me work," he added.

The New York Times - Sports

Besides, it made me work harder.

Independent

"He definitely made me work.

The Guardian - Sport

"These guys made me work.

The New York Times - Sports

He made me work hard".

The New York Times

"That made me work even harder".

The New York Times - Sports

They made me work hard for it.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "made me work" to express that something or someone motivated or forced you to exert effort. It's suitable for both positive and negative contexts, such as overcoming a challenge or dealing with a demanding person.

Common error

Avoid using "made me work" when the effort was minimal or routine. Reserve it for situations where the work was significantly challenging or demanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "made me work" functions as a causative construction, where "made" is the causative verb indicating that someone or something caused the speaker to perform work. Ludwig provides several examples demonstrating this usage across different contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Sports

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

6%

Wiki

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "made me work" is a common and grammatically correct way to express that someone or something caused you to exert effort. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is widely used across various contexts, particularly in news and sports reporting. It's important to reserve it for situations where the effort was significantly challenging, and to remember that the correct structure is "made me work", not "made me to work". Alternatives such as "required considerable effort" may be suitable for more formal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

forced me to exert myself

Emphasizes the element of compulsion and the need for personal effort.

demanded a lot of effort from me

Highlights the high level of effort required from the speaker.

required me to put in effort

Highlights the requirement for effort, focusing on the necessity rather than the difficulty.

necessitated considerable exertion on my part

A more formal way of saying "made me work", emphasizing the speaker's active role.

pushed me to my limits

Indicates being challenged to the maximum extent of one's capabilities.

drove me to labor intensively

Suggests an external force pushing the speaker to work intensely.

challenged me significantly

Focuses on the challenging aspect, implying that the task demanded considerable effort.

compelled me to strive

Highlights the compelling nature of the task, emphasizing the need to struggle and work hard.

caused me to toil

Emphasizes the laborious nature of the work involved.

instigated my hard work

Focuses on the initiation of hard work due to an external factor.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "made me work" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases such as "required considerable effort", "necessitated significant exertion", or "demanded a great deal of effort".

Is it correct to say "made me to work" instead of "made me work"?

No, "made me to work" is grammatically incorrect. The correct structure is "made me work" without the "to". The verb "make" in this context takes a bare infinitive (the base form of the verb without "to").

What does it mean when someone says "He definitely made me work"?

It means that the person caused the speaker to exert a significant amount of effort. It could be due to a challenge, a difficult task, or a demanding interaction. This phrase often implies that the effort was worthwhile or resulted in some form of growth or accomplishment.

In what situations is it appropriate to use the phrase "made me work"?

It's appropriate to use the phrase "made me work" in situations where someone or something caused you to exert a significant amount of effort or energy. This could be in a professional setting, a personal challenge, or even in sports, as evidenced by several examples.