Causative Verbs: Structure, Meaning, and Examples

When seeing a friend bringing a birthday cake, which question is more appropriate to use: "When did you bake the cake?" or "When did you have the cake baked?"? Likewise with the answer, which is more appropriate: "I baked it yesterday." or "I had it baked yesterday."?

These two forms have fundamental differences in meaning. "When did you bake the cake?" followed by "I baked it yesterday." shows that we made the cake ourselves. However, if we ask or tell someone to make the cake, it is more appropriate to say "When did you have the cake baked?" with the answer "I had it baked yesterday."

This is called causative verb.

In English, causative verbs are used to show that someone asks or tells someone to do something, or something to be done. Causative verbs can also indicate that someone causes something to happen. Causative verbs can be used in various verb forms (tenses) as needed.

Active Causative with "Make", "Have", and "Let"

Causative verbs such as "make", "have", and "let" are followed by simple verbs (Infinitve / Verb 1).

Subject + Make / Have / Let + Noun (person) + Verb 1

This active causative indicates that the subject asks or requires someone to do something.
Example sentences:

• He had the repairman check his motorcycle engine.
• The joke made everyone laugh.

Active Causative with "Get", "Want", "Order", and "Ask"

Causative verbs such as "get", "want", "permit", "allow", "order", and "ask" are followed by to Verb 1 (to - infinitive).

Subject + Get / Want / Permit / Allow / Order / Ask + Noun (person) + to Verb 1

Similar to the previous form, this active causative structure shows that the subect asks or requires someone to do something.
Example sentences:

• He asked the repairman to check his motorcycle engine.
• The policeman ordered him to surrender.

Passive Causative

Verbs in Passive Causative are followed by the Past Participle (Verb 3).

Subject + Have / Get + Noun (person) + Verb 3

This passive causative tells us that the subject asks or requires that something be done.
Passive causative examples:

• He had his motorcycle engine checked.
• The supervisor got the report corrected and sent immediately.

Understanding and mastering causative verbs is very important to be able to express and understand who does an action or who arranges for the action to be done. By mastering this competence, we can explain well and precisely what we do ourselves or what we ask others to do. Now, let's test our understanding and move on to the Practice Questions!

Updated: Tue, Jan 7, 2025