Causative verbs are used when we want to indicate that someone or something causes another person or thing to perform an action. Instead of saying that a person does something directly, causative constructions show that the person makes, has, or gets another person (or thing) to do it. This is especially common in formal writing or when you want to shift focus from the doer to the instigator of an action.
Common causative verbs include make, have, get, let, and sometimes help. Each of these verbs has slightly different patterns and degrees of force or persuasion.
Table of contents
Common Causative Verbs and Their Meanings
Make:
Implies forcing or requiring someone to do something, often without giving them a choice. It suggests strong coercion or authority.
Examples:
- “The teacher made the students write the report again.”
- “My boss made me stay late.”
Have:
Implies asking or arranging for someone to do something, often as a task or a responsibility. It’s less forceful than “make” and often used in more formal contexts.
Examples:
- “I had the mechanic fix my car.” (I arranged for the mechanic to do it.)
- “The manager will have the assistant organize the files.”
Get:
Implies persuading, convincing, or sometimes paying someone to do something. It suggests some degree of effort, encouragement, or negotiation on the part of the subject.
Examples:
- “I got my friend to help me move the furniture.” (I convinced my friend.)
- “She got the children to do their homework.”
Let:
Implies allowing or giving permission for someone to do something. It indicates granting freedom or removing obstacles.
Examples:
- “My parents let me stay out late.” (They allowed it.)
- “He let his kids play in the backyard.”
Help:
Implies assisting someone to do something, often followed by either the “to infinitive” or the bare infinitive.
(Not always considered a strict causative verb, but it often works similarly)
Examples:
- “She helped me (to) carry the boxes.”
- “He helped them understand the instructions.”
Structures of Causative Verbs
1. Make / Let / Have (in active voice)
Form: Subject + make/let/have + object (person) + base form of verb
- Make:
“Subject + make + person + verb (bare infinitive)”
Example: “The teacher made the students study harder.” - Let:
“Subject + let + person + verb (bare infinitive)”
Example: “They let him borrow their car.” - Have:
“Subject + have + person + verb (bare infinitive)”
Example: “I had my assistant call the supplier.”
Note: With make, let, and have in these active causative structures, the main verb that follows the object is always in the base form (bare infinitive).
2. Have / Get (with objects and past participles, passive meaning)
“Have” and “get” can also be used in a structure that implies arranging for something to be done by someone else. This form often suggests a service performed for the subject, rather than a direct command.
Form with “Have”:
Subject + have + object (thing) + past participle of verb
- Example: “I had my hair cut yesterday.”
(I didn’t cut my hair myself; I arranged for someone else to do it.) - “She had her car repaired last week.”
Form with “Get”:
Subject + get + object (thing) + past participle of verb
- Example: “I got my car fixed.”
(Similar meaning to “I had my car fixed,” but “get” can suggest more effort or negotiation.) - “They got their house painted last month.”
In these forms, the subject is not doing the action but is responsible for arranging it. The action is done by another person, and it is implied.
3. Make vs. Have vs. Get
- Make is generally followed by the bare infinitive (no “to”):
“They made me clean my room.” (I had no choice.) - Have is also followed by the bare infinitive when it means “to give someone the responsibility to do something”:
“I had my assistant send the email.” - Get is followed by “to + infinitive” when you want someone to do something (not in the service arrangement sense):
“She got her friend to help her.” (convinced or persuaded)
When you want to express someone else doing a service for you using “have” or “get”:
- “I had my car washed.” (someone else washed it)
- “I got my hair cut.” (someone else cut it)
In these forms, the verbs “have” and “get” are followed by object + past participle, not by a base infinitive.
4. Let and Help
- Let + object + base verb means to allow someone to do something:
“My boss let me leave early.”
This structure never uses “to.” It’s always “let someone do something.” - Help can be followed by either “to + infinitive” or “bare infinitive”:
“He helped me (to) solve the problem.”
Both forms are acceptable, but “help + bare infinitive” is very common.
More Examples
- Make:
- “The movie made me laugh.” (It caused me to laugh.)
- “His behavior made his parents worry.”
- Have (someone do something):
- “I had the technician check the computer.”
- “We will have them deliver the package tomorrow.”
- Get (someone to do something):
- “She got her friend to pick her up from the station.”
- “They got the painter to redo the kitchen walls.”
- Let:
- “My parents let me use their car.”
- “He let the dog run freely in the park.”
- Help:
- “She helped him (to) solve the puzzle.”
- “They helped us (to) move into our new apartment.”
- Have/Get (Passive Meaning with Object + Past Participle):
- “I had my car serviced.” (someone serviced it for me)
- “We got our house painted last summer.”
- “She had her hair dyed red.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using “to” After Make/Let/Have in Active Structures:
- Incorrect: “He made me to do it.”
- Correct: “He made me do it.”
- Incorrect: “They let him to leave.”
- Correct: “They let him leave.”
- Incorrect: “I had my friend to fix the bike.”
- Correct: “I had my friend fix the bike.”
- Wrong Word Order: Ensure the pattern is correct: Subject + causative verb + person/thing + main verb (in correct form).
- Confusing Passive and Active Patterns: When expressing that someone else performs a service for you, use have/get + object + past participle:
- “I had my car washed.” (Not “I had my car wash.”)
- “I got my nails done.” (Not “I got my nails do.”)
Exercises
A. Identify the Correct Form:
- “They made me (to wait / wait) in the lobby.”
- “I had the gardener (to trim / trim) the bushes.”
- “She got her assistant (to arrange / arrange) the meeting.”
- “My boss let me (to leave / leave) early.”
B. Rewrite Using Causative Verbs:
- “I hired someone to paint my house.”
→ “I had my house ___.” - “I convinced my brother to drive me to the airport.”
→ “I got my brother ___.” - “My teacher insisted that I rewrite the essay.”
→ “My teacher made me ___.”
C. Create Your Own Sentences:
- Use “make” to show someone forcing another to do something.
- Use “have” to show you arranged for someone to perform a task.
- Use “get” to show you persuaded someone to do something.
- Use “let” to show permission.
- Use “help” to show assistance.
Answers
A. Identify the Correct Form:
- “They made me wait in the lobby.”
- “I had the gardener trim the bushes.”
- “She got her assistant to arrange the meeting.”
- “My boss let me leave early.”
B. Rewrite Using Causative Verbs:
- “I hired someone to paint my house.”
→ “I had my house painted.” - “I convinced my brother to drive me to the airport.”
→ “I got my brother to drive me to the airport.” - “My teacher insisted that I rewrite the essay.”
→ “My teacher made me rewrite the essay.”