Causative Verbs

Causative verbs express an action which is caused to happen. The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs because they cause something else to happen.

Get gives the idea of persuasion, have is asking and make is forcing or strong convincing. These causative verbs can come in any tenses.

Uses of causative verbs:

Make:

'Make as a causative verb follows the structure "sub + make + agent + V1 +...." that means to force someone to do something.

• Don't make me shout at him.
• The principal made the teachers stay after school hours.

In the passive structure, the causative verb 'make' comes with 'to + V1.

• The teachers were made to stay after school hour by the principal.

Get:

'Get' as a causative verb follow the structure "sub + get + agent + to + V1 + ......" that means to convince someone to do something.

• The doctors are trying to get people to stop smoking.
• We should get people to plant some trees in their surroundings.

Have

'Have' as a causative verb follows the structure "sub + have + agent + V1+......" that means to give someone the responsibility to do something or to ask someone to do something.

• I had my hair cut in a completely new style.
• Can you make him laugh?

Get/Have something done

Sometimes 'get someone to do something' or 'get something done' is interchangeable with 'have something so something' or 'get something done'. but there is a little difference between these expressions.

1. Have something done

• Shyam had his hair cut last Saturday.
• I had my house painted.

2. Get something done

• Rohan got his room cleaned yesterday.
• Tarun gets his letter typed neatly.

Summary:

• Causative verbs express an action which is caused to happen.
• The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs because they cause something else to happen.
• Get gives the idea of persuasion, have is asking and make is forcing or strong convincing.
• It can come in any tenses.