Causative Structure in English

Overview

This lecture explains how to form and use the causative structure in English, focusing on both active and passive forms with common causative verbs.

The causative expresses having someone do something for you.
It is used when the subject causes another person or thing (the agent) to perform an action.

"Have" is used when you commission or pay someone to do something ("I had the barber cut my hair").
"Make" implies forcing someone to do something ("I made my brother clean my room").
"Get" means convincing or persuading someone to act ("I got my sister to do my laundry").
"Let" means giving permission to someone ("I let my friend borrow my car").
With have, make, and let, the next verb is in the base (infinitive without "to") form; with get, the verb is in the "to" infinitive form.

Structure: Subject + causative verb + object + past participle (verb3) [+ (optional) agent].
Only "have" and "get" are commonly used in the passive causative.
The agent is usually omitted when obvious ("I had my hair cut"; barber is understood).
Used when the subject receives a service or action ("Bill had his house painted", "I get my groceries delivered").

Active: "Sam made her boyfriend cut his hair"; "Jane got her sister to sew her a dress"; "You should have the school call the boy's parents".
Passive: "Bill had his house painted"; "I get my groceries delivered".

Causative — a structure where the subject causes an agent to perform an action.
Agent — the person or thing performing the action in a causative structure.
Active causative — the subject causes the agent to act; agent is mentioned.
Passive causative — the subject receives the action; agent is optional or omitted.
Base verb — the root form of a verb without "to" (e.g., cut, paint).
Past participle — the verb form used in perfect tenses and passives (e.g., painted, done, cut).