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Causative Verb Structures Guide

Causatives involve a subject causing an action to be performed by an agent rather than doing it directly. There are two types of causative structures: Active Causative, which includes verbs like MAKE, HAVE, GET, and LET, and Passive Causative, which uses constructions like 'have something done' and 'get something done'. Active Causatives specify who performs the action, while Passive Causatives often refer to services paid for by the subject.

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82 views2 pages

Causative Verb Structures Guide

Causatives involve a subject causing an action to be performed by an agent rather than doing it directly. There are two types of causative structures: Active Causative, which includes verbs like MAKE, HAVE, GET, and LET, and Passive Causative, which uses constructions like 'have something done' and 'get something done'. Active Causatives specify who performs the action, while Passive Causatives often refer to services paid for by the subject.

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CAUSATIVES

In a causative, a person or thing does not perform an action directly.


The subject (person or thing) causes it to happen by forcing, persuading,
assisting, etc. an agent (another person or thing) to perform it. The subject
(person or thing) does not carry out an action oneself but rather has the
action done by an agent (another person or thing). Causative structures
are used to talk about what someone else did for us.
There are two types of causative structures: those with an agent
and those without an agent. If there is an agent, this type is called Active
Causative; if there isn’t an agent, it is called Passive Causative.
Basically, there are 4 causative verbs; MAKE, HAVE, GET, LET.

I.Active Causatives

1.Have someone do something (have + person + infinitive)

In this “,have” causative, we say who did the thing - we talk about the
person who we asked to do the thing for us.

Examples:
The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.
The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.

2. Get someone to do something (get + person + to + infinitive)

This means that you cause the other person to do the action, maybe by
persuading them to do it.

She gets her son to do his homework by promising him ice cream when
he's finished.

We’ll try to get the teacher to postpone the exam until next Friday.

*This construction has the feeling that we need to convince someone to


do something,

3. Make someone do something (make+ person+ infinitive)

In this causative, we force or compel somebody to do something.

Examples:
Their parents made the boys clean the house after the party.
She made her children do their homework before going to bed.

4. Let someone do something (let+ person+ infinitive)

This means that we permit or allow something to happen.

Examples:
Eva’s father won’t let her drive his car.
You shouldn’t let your children watch TV too much.

II. Passive Causatives

1. Have + object + past participle (have something done)

We usually use 'have something done' when we are talking about paying
someone to do something for us. It's often used for services

Examples:
I had my car washed.
John will have his house painted.

2. Get + object + past participle (get something done)

This has the same meaning as 'have' but it is less formal.

Examples:
I'll get my hair cut next week.
He got his washing machine fixed.

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