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Causative Verbs

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14 views

Causative Verbs

Uploaded by

alihussainstudio
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CAUSATIVE VERBS

A causative verb indicates that a person or thing is causing another action to


occur. Causative verbs are used when one person or thing is a stimulus that
enables someone or something else to carry out the main action in a sentence.

There are about ten causative verbs that are commonly used: let, allow, permit,
make, force, require, get, have, help, and keep.

A causative verb indicates that a person or thing is causing another action to


occur by someone or something else. Some common causative verbs are let,
make, get, have, and help. Causative verbs are used when one person or thing is a
stimulus that enables or causes someone or something else to carry out the main
action in a sentence.

The causative verb made is used in: Mom made Sara eat the broccoli.
The causative verb made indicates that Mom did not eat the broccoli,
but she caused Sara to eat it.
Usage of Causative Verbs:
Common causative verbs are let, allow, permit, make, force, require, get, have,
help, and keep. Some of these verbs have similar meanings but differ in their
formality and sentence structure.
Causative verbs are followed by an object and another verb form. The second
verb form is often the base or root form of the verb, an infinitive ('to' followed by
the base or root form of the verb), or a participle.

Let, Allow, and Permit


Let, allow, and permit have similar meanings. They mean:

 to give permission to someone or something to do an action


 to make it possible for someone or something to do an action or have
something

While these three verbs have similar meanings, they differ in formality and
structure. 'Let' is the least formal, and 'permit' is the most formal. These verbs are
also followed by different object-verb form pairings. 'Let' is followed by the object
and the base or root form of the verb, while 'allow' and 'permit' are followed by
the object and an infinitive (to + base verb form).

Consider how these examples illustrate the sentence structure used with 'let':
Subject + Let + Object + Verb

 He lets his children play video games 8 hours a day on the weekends.
 The computer system won't let me enter a date before 1990.

Consider how these examples illustrate the sentence structure used with 'permit'
and 'allow':
Subject + Permit/Allow + Object + To + Verb
 I can only permit people to enter this base with prior authorization from a
senior military official.
 My mom allows me to watch a movie only if she has already seen it.

Make, Force, and Require


Make, force, and require have similar meanings. They mean to compel someone
or something to do something. While these three verbs have similar meanings,
they differ in formality, frequency of use, and structure. 'Make' is the least formal
and most common. 'Require' is the most formal. These verbs are also followed by
different object-verb form pairings. 'Make' is followed by the object and the base
or root form of the verb, while 'force' and 'require' are followed by the object and
an infinitive (to + base verb form).

Consider how these examples illustrate the sentence structure used with 'make':
Subject + Make + Object + Verb

 We made him wear the unicorn costume for the birthday party.
 I can't make the machine run smoothly.

Consider how these examples illustrate the sentence structure used with 'force'
and 'require':
Subject + Force/Require + Object + To + Verb

 He forced me to go to the baseball game with him.


 The contract requires you to pay for trash, electricity, gas, and water.

Get as causative verb


'Get' is used as a causative verb in a similar way as 'have' is used with the
participle. This expresses the idea that the person wants something to be done
for them. The causative verb is often used in a more idiomatic manner than
'have'.
Subject + Get + Person + Past Participle

 They got their house painted last week.


 Tom got his car washed yesterday.
 Alison got the painting appraised by an art dealer.

This form is also used for difficult tasks we manage to complete. In this case, there
is no causative meaning.

 I got the report finished last night.

 She finally got her taxes done yesterday.

 I got the lawn done before dinner.

Have as causative verb


'Have' as a causative verb expresses the idea that the person wants something to
be done for them. This causative verb is often used when speaking about various
services. There are two forms of the causative verb 'have'.

Subject + Have + Person + Base Form of Verb

This form indicates that someone causes another person to take an


action. Have someone do something is often used to management and work
relationships.

 They had John arrive early.

 She had her children cook dinner for her.

 I had Peter pick up the evening newspaper.

Subject + Have + Object + Past Participle

This form is used with services that are commonly paid for such as car washing,
house painting, dog grooming, etc.

 I had my hair cut last Saturday.


 She had the car washed at the weekend.

 Mary had the dog groomed at the local pet store.

Note: This form is similar in meaning to the passive.

Help as causative verb


'Help' as a causative verb expresses the idea that the person intends to help
someone to do a particular task.

Subject + Help + Object + Base form/ To-infinitive.

After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the
form without “to” is more common:

 He helped me carry the boxes.


 He helped me to carry the boxes.
 Reading before bed helps me relax.
 Reading before bed helps me to relax.

Help as causative verb


There is only one causative verb that must be used with a present participle: keep.
Instead of its usual meaning (“to retain possession of”), keep as a causative verb
means “to maintain or prolong,” as in:

Subject + keep/kept + object + adverbial.

 “I can’t believe you kept me waiting for over an hour!”


 “I’ll only be a minute, so keep the engine running.”

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