Causative verbs: forms and examples

4. Frequently used verbs with a causative meaning

1. What are causative verbs?

Causative verbs indicate that someone or something causes another person to do something. They help us express actions indirectly. In this lesson, we will look at their forms, structures, and examples.

2. Examples

The most common causative verbs are have, make, let, and get. So what makes them causative? Let’s look at them one by one. Note that the following list is not exhaustive.

Have

Causative function: when you use "have" causatively, you’re asking or arranging for someone else to do something for you.
Example: I had the mechanic fix my car. Here, the mechanic performs the action of fixing the car because the speaker arranged for them to do it.

Make

Causative role: "make" is used when someone is forced or compelled to do something. It involves some level of authority or force, whether physical, moral, or social.
Example: The teacher made the students stay after class. The teacher caused the students to stay by giving them no choice or forcing them to do so.

Causative use: "let" is used when permission is given to someone to do something. It indicates that the subject allows someone else to take action.
Example: She let me borrow her book. In this example, the subject (she) allows the object (me) to borrow the book.

Causative form: "get" is used to express that you persuade, convince, or arrange for someone to do something. It often implies more of a request or effort to get someone to act.
Example: I got him to help me with my homework. Here, the speaker persuaded or convinced him to help with homework.

3. Uses in interrogative sentences

Causative verbs can also be used in interrogative sentences. The usual structure is:
[Question word] + [Causative verb] + [Subject] + [Object] + [Base verb/infinitive/past participle]?

Will they get the documents signed by Friday?
Where did you get the car repaired?
Why did she make him leave the party early?
Have you had your house painted yet?
Can you have your car washed tomorrow?
Should I allow her to use my car?
How often do you have your teeth checked?

To form negative questions, simply add the negation "not" after the auxiliary verb. The structure remains the same as for affirmative questions.

Didn’t you have your house painted?
Why didn’t you make him clean the room before he left?
Why don’t they allow us to go inside?
Haven’t you had your ears checked lately?
Shouldn’t the police have him released?
Can’t you have your car fixed this morning?

4. Frequently used verbs with a causative meaning

There are several causative verbs in English. The list below illustrates some of the most common ones.

List of causative verbs	Sentences in causative forms
have	I had my car washed yesterday.
make	She made him apologize for his behaviour.
let	His mother let him stay out late.
get	I got him to help me with my homework.
help	She helped me finish the project.
ask	I asked him to lend me his book.
force	He forced them to leave the party early.
allow	They allowed me to enter the room.
tell	She told him to be quiet.
order	The teacher ordered the students to sit down.
warn	He warned her not to go outside in the storm.
teach	My father taught me how to drive.
cause	The storm caused the river to flood.
invite	She invited me to attend her wedding.
get someone to	He got me to help him with his project.
help someone to	She helped me to carry the groceries.
encourage	His friends encouraged him to pursue his dreams.
require	The job requires you to have a degree.
persuade	She persuaded him to join the team.
convince	They convinced me to buy the new phone.
compel	The law compels them to report the incident.
enable	The new software enables me to work from home.
force someone to	The police forced the crowd to disperse.
coerce	The criminal coerced the victim into giving him money.
pressurise	She pressurised him into taking the job offer.

5. Common uses

Causative verbs are particularly useful when you want to focus on the person who causes the action rather than the person who performs the action.

When you want to tell someone to do something for you.
When you need to describe a situation where someone else is performing the action on your behalf.
When you want to express permission or force in a situation.

6. Summary

In English, causative verbs express that someone causes or arranges for an action to happen. A typical causative sentence includes:

Structure	Causative verbs	Example
Subject + Causative verb + Object + Verb (base form)	let, make, help, have	She made him work.
Subject + Causative verb + Object + Infinitive (to + verb)	require, permit, allow, force, cause, get	He forced her to study.
Subject + Causative Verb + Object + Past participle	have, get (for actions done for the subject)	I had the car washed.