Causative verbs

Causative verbs

Causative verbs are used to indicate that one person causes a second person to do something for the first person.
The causative are : have, get, make

• Have/ Get

 the pattern Have active

            S + have + complement + verb in simple form

                          ^{(any tenses)     usually person                    ( V1 )}

 examples

1. Marry has John wash the car (present tense)

2. Marry had John wash the car (past tense)

3. Marry is having John wash the car ( present continuous)

4. Marry has had John wash the car (present perfect)

5. Marry had had John wash the car (past perfect)

6. Marry will have John wash the car (future tenses)

· The pattern Get Active

                        S + get + complement + verb in  infinitive

                           ^{(any tense)        (usually person)                     (to + v1)}

Examples

1. Marry gets John to wash the car (simple present)
2. Marry got John to wash the car (past tense)
3. Marry is getting John to wash the car (present  continuous)

The pattern Have and Get Passive

            S + Have/ Get + complement + verb in past participle

                             ^{(any tense)                   (usually thing)                    V3}

Examples

1. James has/gets his shirts cleaned at the drycleaners
2. Pat is having/is getting her car repaired this week
3. Anna had/got her paper typed by a friend.

· Make→→ can be followed only by a clause in the active voice. It is stronger than have or get. It means force.

            The pattern Make/force

                        S + make + complement + verb in simple form

                               ^{any tense                                                             v1}

                                S + force + complement + verb in Infinitive

                              ^{any tense                                                            to + v1}

Examples

1. The teacher always makes the children stay in their class
2. The teacher always forces the children to stay in their class
3. The manager made the salesmen attend the conference
4. The manager forced the salesmen  to attend the conference
5. The president is making his cabinet members sign this document
6. The president is forcing his cabinet members to sign this document

•  Let  →→ is not actually causative, it means allow or permit.

            The pattern Let/ permit/allow

                        S + let + complement + verb in simple form

                              ^{(any tense)                                                     v1}

                        S + permit + complement + verb in infinitive

                               allow

                           ^{(any tense)                                                              to + v1}

Examples

1. John let his daughter swim with her best friend
2. John permitted/ allowed his daughter to swim with her best friend

3. Dr Jones is letting the students hand in the papers

4.      Dr. Jones is permitting/allowing the students to hand in the papers