Causative Verbs

Definition of Causative Verbs

Causative verbs are verbs that show the reason that something happened. They do not indicate something the subject did for themselves, but something the subject got someone or something else to do for them. The causative verbs are: let (allow, permit), make (force, require), have, get, and help. Let's take a closer look at the causative verbs.

Examples

Since there are so few causative verbs, we are going to go ahead and take the time to look at examples of each and discuss the sentence structure for proper use.

Let, Allow and Permit

Our first verb is let, which comes with its synonyms, allow and permit. Here are some sample sentences that each put this verb into action.

• My mom allows me to borrow the car.
• I let my little sister watch TV in my room.
• My teacher permits students to stay late for tutoring.

For each of these sentences, the verb 'let' is followed by an object and then the base form of the verb that describes the action the object will perform. When using 'allow' and 'permit', the word 'to' will come before the verb that describes the action.

Make, Force and Require

Let's move on to make, which comes with the synonyms, force and require. Here are some examples using the words make, force and require.

• My doctor made me come back for a follow-up visit before giving me refills of my prescription.
• The school requires students to follow a strict dress code.
• My religious beliefs force me to attend services twice a week.

The sentence structure when using these words is similar to the structure for let, allow, and permit. The causative verb 'make' precedes the object that is performing the action, followed by the base form of the verb that describes the object's actions. When using 'force' and 'require', the word 'to' is added before the verb describing the action.

Get

The following examples show the proper use of the causative verb 'get.'

• I got the waitress to bring us some menus.
• I am getting my sister to send me a picture of her new house.
• Zachary got his house cleaned before the party.

Usually, the causative verb 'get' will require the word 'to' before the object's action, but sometimes, the word 'get' is used informally in place of 'have.' When this happens, the 'to' is not required.

Have

Notice the sentence structure in these examples using the causative verb 'have.'

• I'll have my secretary send you the forms.
• I'll need to have the tires on my car rotated.

When using the causative verb 'have', the action that the object performs may be represented by the base form or the past participle form of the verb.

Help

Our last verb is 'help.' The following sentences indicate the correct usage of the causative verb 'help.'

• Eating healthy and exercising helps me control my stress.
• Eating healthy and exercising helps me to control my stress.

You'll notice that these two sentences are almost the same. Did you notice the difference? With this causative verb, you may add the word 'to' or not. More commonly, people do not add the 'to.'

Passive Voice

Passive voice is when the verb acts upon the subject of the sentence rather than the subject acting out the verb. Causative verbs have similarities to passive verbs because the subject is not performing the action. These examples illustrate the comparison:

• Using the passive voice, the sentence might read: 'The dishes were cleaned.'
• A similar sentence using a causative verb sounds like this: 'My dad made me clean the dishes.'

Using passive voice, I may or may not have been the one who cleaned the dishes. Using causative verbs made it clear who was doing the work.