Causative verbs are used to describe how a person affects, or causes, another person’s actions. Each causative verb expresses a different function.
There are five main causative verbs:
- get
- have
- make
- let
- help
Get
Get is used to describe persuading others to do something. Often, there is an element of difficulty.
The structure is as follows: get + object + infinitive verb
Teacher’s Note
The use of ‘object’ here usually refers to a person, but it can also refer to an animal, personified inanimate object, or a collective noun that includes people.
- I got my parents to buy me a laptop by explaining that I was going to use it to study English.
- I got my little brother to lend me his car so that I could pick my girlfriend up at the airport.
- She got the school to change its language policy.
Get can also be used with the past participle to show that the subject arranged for someone else to do an action for them. Like the use of the passive voice in Grammar 5-1, this is used when we want the focus to be on the action and not the agent because the agent is obvious, unknown, or unimportant. Generally speaking, the person actually doing the action is not directly stated.
The structure is as follows: get + object + past participle
- He doesn’t have any money, but somehow he got his car fixed.
- Did you get your report checked?
- The manager got the guide uploaded to the company website.
Have
Like get, have can also be used with the past participle to show that the subject arranged for someone else to do an action for them. Most of the time, there is very little difference in meaning between the use of have or get; however, get is generally more informal than have and is used mostly in spoken English.
- He had his hair cut. / He got his hair cut.
- They had their wedding catered. / They got their wedding catered.
- You should have your English homework checked before you submit it.
Be careful! Don't confuse this structure with perfect tenses. When using have to show that the subject arranged for something to be done for them by someone else, the past participle comes after the object, not after have.
Make
Make is used to describe forcing other people to do something or to change in some way.
The structure is as follows: make + object + base form of the verb.
Teacher’s Note
The use of ‘object’ here with 'make', 'let', and 'help' usually refers to a person, but it can also refer to an animal, personified inanimate object, or a collective noun that includes people.
- My teacher makes all the students review our vocabulary every day even though it is really boring.
- The government makes us pay taxes every year.
- They made Jim speak English despite it not being his first language.
Let
Let is used to describe allowing or giving permission to others to do something.
The structure is as follows: let + object + base form.
- My teacher lets me use the computer after school.
- Our company lets employees take time off to attend religious ceremonies.
- The City has decided to let people drink beer in public parks, and everyone is so happy.
Help
Help is used to describe assisting or supporting the caused action.
The structure is as follows: help + object + base form or infinitive.
- My mother is helping my brother (to) prepare for the ceremony.
- John’s coworker helped him (to) translate his report into Japanese.
- My friend from my pottery class helped me (to) shape a bowl.
Note that there is very little difference between the use of the base form and the infinitive after the object. The base form is slightly more informal, but both forms can generally be used interchangeably.