Can you say, "He's permitting us to..." ?

Question

A reader from Poland asked if it is alright to say, “He's permitting us to go there.”

Answer

The short answer is yes, this sentence is fine. For further information, see below.

Permit + direct object
Permit is almost always used as a transitive verb, which means that it has a direct object (d.o.).  As a transitive verb, permit means “to allow or give permission for.” Here are some examples of permit as a transitive verb:

• The judge permitted the release of the prisoner. (The d.o. of permit is "the release of the prisoner.")
• The hospital permits visitors in the evening, only. (The d.o. of permit is "visitors.")
• Smoking is not permitted in the building. (In this passive construction, "smoking" is the grammatical subject, but it's the logical d.o. of permit.)

Permit + direct object + "to + verb"

The direct object of permit is often followed by a "to + verb" clause, which tells what action is permitted, as in your sentence:

• He’s permitting us to go there.

Here are some other examples:

• Louisa’s parents will not permit them to marry.
• She was not permitted to serve on the jury.
• (formal) Permit me to offer my congratulations on your victory. [=I would like to congratulate you on your victory]

Many other verbs can take a direct object followed by a "to + verb" clause. Here are a few examples:

• allow             The software allows you to enter data easily.
• encourage     We want to encourage students to read more.
• expect           My parents expect me to go to college.

I hope this helps.