Causative Verbs
Let / Have / Get / Make
What ON EARTH are
Causative Verbs??????
A causative verb is a verb that ‘causes’.
Causative verb is used to indicate that one person
causes a second person to do something for the
first person.
Examples.
He let me borrow his Lamborghini. (=allowed)
I got my friend to go cycling with me! (=convinced)
He had them review the case. (=caused)
My teacher made me redo the homework! (=forced)
Let
"to allow/permit someone to do something.”
Form: [ let + person + verb ]
Examples:
- John let me drive his new car.
- Will your parents let you go to the party?
- I don't know if my boss will let me take the day off.
Have
“To give someone the responsibility to do
something”
FORM
[have + person + verb]
Examples:
- Dr. Smith had his nurse take the patient's temperature.
- Please have your secretary fax me the information.
- I had the mechanic check the brakes.
Get
“This construction usually means "to convince to
do something" or "to trick someone into doing
something.”
FORM
[get + person + to + verb]
Examples:
- Susie got her son to take the medicine even though it
tasted terrible.
- How can parents get their children to read more?
- The government TV commercials are trying to get
Get vs. Have
Sometimes "get someone to do something" is
interchangeable with "have someone do
something," but these expressions do not mean
exactly the same thing.
Examples:
I got the mechanic to check my brakes.
(= At first the mechanic didn't think it was necessary, but I
convinced him to check the brakes.
I had the mechanic check my brakes.
(= I asked the mechanic to check the brakes.
Get Active
Examples
1. Marry gets John to wash the car (simple present)
2. Marry got John to wash the car (past tense)
3. Marry is getting John to wash the car (present
continuous)
Have and Get Passive
Examples
1. James has/gets his shirts cleaned at the
drycleaners
2. Pat is having/is getting her car repaired this week
3. Anna had/got her paper typed by a friend.
Make
"to force someone to do something.”
can be followed only by a clause in the active
voice.
FORM
[make + person + verb]
Examples:
My teacher made me apologize for what I had said.
Did somebody make you wear that ugly hat?
She made her children do their homework.
I have John fix the car.
(I arranged for the car to be fixed by John
- I caused him to fix it.)
I have the car fixed
(I arranged for the car to be fixed by someone.
We don't know who, so this is like a passive.)
This is the basic structure of the active form,
along with some more examples
Have someone do something
Causative Action
Subject Agent Object
verb verb
Susan has her brother do her homework.
The police have the suspect stop his car.
our window.
We have the carpenter fix
In the passive form, there is usually no agent.
The action verb is in the past participle, and
the object comes before it:
Have something done
Subject Causative verb Object Action verb
We have our door fixed.
Rose has her hair cut.
Dario has the windows cleaned
There many other verbs that can be used with causatives.
In the active form, some of these verbs require the action
verb to have "to" before it. These are some examples of the
most common causative verbs.
Form of
Verb Meaning Action Verb Examples
force, - The robbers made us lie on the floor.
make plain form
compel [No passive form]
- I got Jane to pick me up in the car.
same as
get "to" form
"have" - She got her hair cut.
- I'll let you borrow my bike.
let allow plain form [No passive form]
Exercises
1. The teacher made Juan _______ (leave) the room.
2. Toshiko had her car _______ (repair) by a
machine.
3. Ellen got Marvin _____ (type) her paper
4. We got our house _______ (paint) last week
5. Mark got his transcripts ______ (send) to the
university
6. The teacher let Al _____ (leave) the classroom
The expressions for asking for help:
• Could you help me do my homework?
• Can you post this letter?
• Would you please put the trash bag ?
• Do/would you mind helping me close the window?
• Would you please close the window?
• etc
The expressions for offering help:
Can I help you, Mom?
What can I do for you?
Is there anything I can do, Sir?
Would you like me to help you?
Could I help you fix this pencil?
Do yout want me close the window?
The expressions for Giving help:
• Let me give you a hand.
• Here, I’ll do it for you.
