Causative Form (Active and Passive Causative)

Causative Form, Active and Passive

In English, the causative form is used when we don't do someting ourselves, instead we
arrange for someone else to do it for us.

There are two kinds of causative structure:

Active Causative Passive Causative

A. Active Causative

Verbs that take active forms of causative are Let, Make, Have, and Get
Let
Let is used when we want to allow someone to do something.
Pattern

let

agent

verb

Example: She lets me borrow her book. explanation:

let

agent

verb

She

lets

me

borrow

her book.

Make

Make is used when we want to force someone to do something.

Pattern

make

agent

verb

Example: My mother makes me do my home work. explanation:

make

agent

verb

My mother

makes

me

do

my homework.

Have
Have is used when we want to give someone the responsbility to do something.
Pattern

have

agent

verb

Example: My English teacher has me do the homework in a week. explanation:

have/has

agent

verb

My English teacher

has

me

do

the home work in a week.

Get
Get is used when we want to convince to do something or to trick someone into doing something.
Pattern

get

agent

to

verb

Example: My friends get me to take the test. explanation:

get

agent

to

verb

My friends

get

me

to

take

the quiz.

Get vs. Have

Sometimes "get someone to do something" is interchangeable with "have someone do something," but these expressions do not mean exactly the same thing. Examples: My friends get me to take the test. It can be meant that I am actually not encouraged to take the test, but my friends convince me to take that. My friends have me take the test. It means that my friends ask me to take the quiz.

B. Passive Causative

There are two verbs generally used in the passive causative form; they are Have and
Get. In addition, there is usually no agent in this form; it's not like in active form which has the agent. The action verb is in the past participle, and the object comes before it. The difference between have and get in this passive causative form is the same like in active causative form explained aboved.

Pattern

Subject

Have/Get

Object

Past Participle

Examples:

I ask someone to fix my car. = I have my car fixed. She asked John to wash the plate. = She got the plate washed.

Exception

But, if the verb get followed by personal nouns, past participle can't be used in it.
Instead, we must use to infinitive. So it will become just like in active causative form.
Pattern

Subject

Get

Object (personal noun)

to

verb

I get the house painted I get John to paint the house.

In addition, modal auxiliary verbs may be used with the causative sentence
structure. Most often, modals express a suggestion by the speaker, such as:

You should have your hair cut. He should get his decision changed She will have the food cooked.

Need & Want

Need and want may be used in passive causative sentences. In some cases, the passive
causative verb (had/got) may be dropped altogether.??

I need/want to have my hair cut. I need/want my hair cut.