Causatives 

This lesson delves into the complexities of causative verbs, exploring their roles in different grammatical structures and contexts. It offers comprehensive explanations, advanced exercises, and a quiz.

"Causatives" in the English Grammar

What Are Causatives?

Causatives are verbs that indicate a person or thing is causing an action to happen, rather than performing the action themselves. They are used to express the idea of making someone else or something else do something or causing an event to happen.

Why Do We Use Causatives?

Causatives are used to show how someone or something initiates or influences an action, clarifying the connection between the initiator and the activity. They help express who is responsible for making things happen in different contexts. The subject's role can vary but usually involves starting, assisting, or making sure the action happens, without actually doing it themselves. Here are some examples:

Example

She made him apologize.

I got my hair cut by my sister.

Peter let Sara do the project.

Causatives: Structures

In English, causative verbs are typically followed by one of the following verb forms:

Causatives with Bare Infinitives

A causative verb can be followed by an object and then a bare infinitive to show that the subject is causing the object to perform the action of the main verb. The bare infinitive structure can be a clause or a single verb. For example:

Example

She let me drive.

My mom made me clean my room.

Causatives with To-infinitives

The causative can also be followed by an object and a to-infinitive. The meaning is similar to the structure formed by bare infinitives and both clause and single verb form are allowed.

Example

He forced me to run.

He got her to read the book

Causatives with Present Participles

Present participles can also come after the causative verb and its object to show that someone other than the subject is performing the action. Look at the examples:

Example

She had him working.

She got the kids doing their homework.

Causatives with Past Participles

In this type, the causative verb is followed by an object and a past participle. The past participle differs from the other structures because the object of the causative verb is not the person performing the action, but the person or thing receiving the action described by the past participle. In other words, the sentence expresses a passive causation and the agent may or may not be specified. The past participle is normally used on its own rather than forming a clause. Here are some examples:

Example

She got her car fixed by a mechanic.

The government had the suspect detained.

I had my hair cut.

The court had the witness summoned.

Causatives with Past Participle Vs. Passive Voice

The causative structure emphasizes that the subject caused something to happen, while the passive voice emphasizes that something happened to the subject without necessarily specifying the doer. However, both constructions involve the use of past participles and can describe actions performed on the object. For example:

Example

I had my hair cut. Vs. My hair was cut.

The focus of the first sentence is on the subject getting someone else to cut their hair, while the second sentence focuses on the hair being cut.

Common Causative Verbs

The table below gives a list of common causative verbs and the type of complement that typically follows them.

Causative Verb

Non-Finite Clause Type

Make

bare infinitive clause

Force

to-infinitive clause

Let

bare infinitive clause

Get

to-infinitive clause or present participle

Have

bare infinitive clause or present participle

Help

bare infinitive clause or to-infinitive clause

Keep

present participle

Here are some examples:

Example

I made him study for the exam.

He forced me to go to the party with him.

She lets her children play video games on the weekends.

I got him to sign the contract.

He had his friend fix the computer.

He helped him escape from the jail. / He helped him to escape from the jail.

They kept the professor talking on the same project over and over.

Classifying Causative Verbs by Meaning

Causative verbs can be arranged into different categories based on the meaning they express, including:

Permission

Obligation or compulsion

Facilitation

Influence

Support or encouragement

Cause and arrangement

Permission

Some of the causative verbs falling under this category include let, allow, permit, and authorize. They all generally mean to give permission or make it possible for someone to do something. When using 'allow', 'permit', and 'authorize' a to-infinitive is required, however when using 'let' a bare-infinitive is needed. For instance:

Example

She let him borrow her car.

As you can see, 'Let' is often considered less formal than other verbs and is commonly used in everyday spoken language.

The teacher allowed the students to work in groups.

I permitted my son to stay up late to finish his homework.

The manager authorized her assistant to sign important documents in her absence.

Obligation or Compulsion

All the causative verbs in this group involve forcing or compelling someone to do something. Some causative verbs in this group are: make, force, require, and compel. When employing 'force,' 'require,' and 'compel,' a to-infinitive is necessary, whereas 'make' requires a bare-infinitive. For example:

Example

He made me mow the lawn.

As you can see, 'make' is often used to indicate a strong degree of compulsion.

They forced him to confess.

Here, 'force' implies a high level of compulsion, often involving physical or psychological pressure to make someone do something against their will.

The circumstances compelled him to apologize for his actions.

ThumbnailPhoto

Facilitation

Causative verbs in this group convey the sense of providing the means or opportunity for someone to do something. In this category, you'll find causative verbs such as: enable, help, empower, and entitle. Among these, "help" can be followed by both bare infinitives and to-infinitives while the others require a to-infinitive. Here are some examples:

Example

She enabled her team to work from home by providing the necessary remote access tools.

She helped him finish the report.

The organization empowers its employees to make decisions independently.

The certificate entitles the holder to access exclusive member benefits.

Influence

Causative verbs in this category convey the sense of persuading or influencing someone to do something or believe in something and include verbs like convince, persuade, inspire, and influence. Remember that all verbs in this category require a to-infinitive. Take a look at these examples:

Example

She convinced her friend to join the hiking trip.

He persuaded his team to take on the challenging project.

Her success story influenced her peers to pursue similar careers.

The teacher's passion for science inspired her students to excel in the subject.

Support or Encouragement

Causative verbs in this category refer to aiding or encouraging others in some manner and include verbs such as assist, prompt, motivate, and encourage. Although the specific ways of providing support may vary between these verbs, they all share a common theme. All verbs that are mentioned are followed by a to-infinitive clause. Take a look at these examples:

Example

The coach encouraged the athletes to give their best effort.

The coach assisted the athlete to prepare for the competition.

The teacher prompted the students to ask questions during the lecture

Cause and Arrangement

This category of verbs conveys the idea of causing or arranging for someone else to perform an action on your behalf. Causative verbs that denote causation and arrangement include 'have,' 'get,' 'keep,' and 'pay.' Here are some examples:

Example

I got my friend to help me move.

As you can see, 'get' is followed by a to-infinitive clause.

She got him laughing.

As you can see, 'get' can also be followed by the present participle.

I had him cut the bushes.

As you can see, 'have' can be followed by a bare infinitive clause.

She had her kids cleaning the entire house.

Here, 'have' can also be followed by the present participle.

They kept the machine working for a while

As you can see, 'keep' always comes with the present participle because it means to make something maintain a situation for a while, so it is used in the continuous form.

I paid the maid to clean the house.

Here, 'pay' is used causatively to indicate that the subject (I) caused someone (the maid) to perform a specific action (to clean the house).

Tip!

Using the present participle with causative verbs such as get, have, and, keep indicates that the doer was actively engaged in the action for some time. Someone or something (subject) caused or arranged for someone or something (object) to participate in the action actively. For example:

Example

Our conversation got me thinking.

Causative Verbs vs. Catenative Verbs

Causative verbs are a type of complex catenative verb. This means all causative verbs are catenative, but not all (complex) catenative verbs are causative. Compare the examples:

Example

I want you to sing a song.

This is a complex catenative verbs but it does not show a causation relation. It simply expresses a wish.

I made him sing a song.

This is a causative verb, as the subject compels another person to perform the action of the verb.

Review

Causative verbs indicate that one entity is causing another to perform an action, emphasizing the role of the instigator. Examples include verbs like 'make,' 'have,' or 'get' which are used to express actions where the subject arranges or compels others to act on their behalf. Causatives highlight the dynamics of influence and control in actions and events.

Quiz:


1.

Choose the sentence where "have" is used causatively:

A

I have three books to read.

B

She had her assistant file the reports.

C

They have finished the project.

D

We had a great time at the party.

2.

Identify the causative structure with a past participle.

A

She forced him to admit the truth.

B

He had his car repaired by the mechanic.

C

They kept the engine running.

D

We helped her move the furniture.

3.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

She made her son

(clean) his room.

We need to get this document

(sign) by the manager.

The teacher let the students

(leave) early.

They forced him

(apologize) publicly.

She kept him

(wait) for an hour.

4.

Select all causative verbs from the list. (Select five.)

prompt

want

decide

agree

enable

ask

persuade

agree

pay

keep

5.

Match each causative verb to the correct category it belongs to.

allow
help
get
force
convince
Permission
Facilitation
Cause and Arrangement
Influence
Obligation or Compulsion

Comments

(8)
Loading Recaptcha...

Recommended

Complex Transitive Verbs

bookmark
There are five basic types of verbs: intransitive, linking, mono-transitive, di-transitive and complex-transitive verbs. In this lesson, we'll discuss the last.

Ergative Verbs

bookmark
Ergative verbs are a type of verbs that can be both transitive and intransitive. In this lesson, we will learn more about this type of verbs.

Catenative Verbs

bookmark
Catenative verbs, also known as chain verbs, are followed by other verbs to form a chain of two or more verbs. In this lesson, we will discuss them in detail.

Reflexive Verbs

bookmark
Reflexive verbs are verbs that are used transitively to reflect back to the subject. Let us learn more. Follow the article.

Phrasal Verbs

bookmark
Phrasal verbs are used very commonly in English, even more so in informal situations. Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a preposition or a particle.

Voices

bookmark
What are voices? How many voices are there in the English Grammar? Here are the most frequently asked questions by learners. Let us find the answers, here.
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app