What are Causative Verbs? Learn Definition, Usage & Examples

Causative verbs are a unique category of verbs in English langauge that express the idea that one person or thing causes another to act. They are essential for conveying relationships where the subject does not directly perform the action but instead facilitates it through another party. Through this blog, we will explore what causative verbs are, their structures, and examples of their usage.

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What are Causative Verbs?

Causative Verbs are those types of verbs which show the causes behind an action or an event in a sentence. They are used to express that someone or something was responsible for causing a certain action. 

For example: “Sarah caused the accident.” In this sentence, it can be seen that Sarah was responsible for causing the accident. Here the verb ‘caused’ is the causative verb in the sentence.

Similarly, Causative Verbs are also responsible for showing that someone was responsible for making something happen.

For example: “Peter made the cake.” In this sentence, it can be made out that Peter was responsible for baking the cake. Here the verb ‘make’ will come under the causative verb.

Importance of Causative Verbs in Writing

Causative verbs improve writing in the following ways:

1. Clarifying cause and effect: They show who/what makes an action happen.
2. Increasing conciseness: They express ideas efficiently.
3. Adding variety: They make writing more engaging.
4. Emphasising responsibility: They highlight who’s in charge.
5. Conveying nuance: Different verbs express subtle differences.
6. Preventing ambiguity: They ensure clear meaning.

Also Read: Types of Verbs

Key Causative Verbs and Their Structures

Causative verbs are of many types. Each causative verb has specific structures that dictate how they are used in sentences. Let us look at each one of them and how they can be used in the formation of sentences. 

Using Make

To force or require someone to do something.

Structure: Subject + make + object + base form of the verb.

Example: She made him cry.

Using Have 

To arrange for someone else to do something, often involving services.

For services: Subject + have + object + past participle.For actions: Subject + have + person + base form of the verb.

Examples:

1. Service: “I had my hair cut.”
2. Action: “I had my assistant write the report.”

Using Get

To persuade someone to do something.

Structure: Subject + get + person + to-infinitive.

Example: I got my brother to help me.

Using Let

To allow someone to do something.

Structure: Subject + let + object + base form of the verb.

Example: They let their children play outside.

Using Help

To assist someone in doing something.

Structure: Subject + help + object + (to) infinitive.

Example: He helped her to finish her project.

Also Read: Verb Forms v1 v2 v3 v4 v5

Types of Causative Verbs

Causative verbs indicate that someone or something causes another person or thing to act. Here’s a breakdown of the common types and how they function: 

Core Causative Verbs

Core causative verbs can further be subdivided into multiple other categories, which are as follows:

1. Have: Indicates that the subject arranges for someone else to do something.

Example: I had my car repaired. (Someone else repaired the car for me)

2. Get: Can be similar to “have,” but often implies more persuasion or effort. It can also be used when the person performing the action is not specified.

Examples: I got my brother to help me with the dishes. (I persuaded him) / I got my hair cut. (Someone cut my hair)

3. Make: Implies that the subject forces or compels someone to do something.

Example: My mom made me clean my room. (She forced me to clean it)

4. Let: Means to allow someone to do something.

Example: My parents let me stay out late. (They gave me permission)

5. Help: Indicates that the subject assists someone in doing something.

Example: I helped my friend move the furniture. (I assisted him)

Other Types of Causative Verbs

Many other verbs can function causatively, depending on the context. These often express ideas like:

• Persuasion: persuade, convince, encourage, coax

Example: I persuaded him to join the team.

• Compulsion: force, require, oblige, compel

Example: The law requires all citizens to pay taxes.

• Permission: allow, permit, authorise

Example: The teacher allowed us to use notes on the test.

• Enabling: enable, allow, facilitate

Example: The new software enabled us to finish the project on time.

Passive Causatives

Causative verbs can also be used in a passive way, where the thing being acted upon is the focus.

Example: I had my house painted. (Passive causative, focus on the house)

Contrast: I painted my house. (Active, focus on the person doing the painting)

Causative Verbs in Different Tenses

Let’s explore how causative verbs change across different tenses in English.  We’ll use “have,” “get,” “make,” and “let” as our primary examples, as they are the most common.  Remember, the core concept of a causative verb is that the subject causes another person or thing to act.

Causative Verbs in Different Tenses	Examples
Simple Present Tense	Have: I have my car washed every week. (habitual action) Get: I get my hair cut every month. (habitual action) Make: My boss makes me work overtime. (habitual action, implies compulsion) Let: My parents let me stay out late on weekends. (permission)
Simple Past Tense	Have: I had my house painted last year. (completed action) Get: I got my friend to help me move. (completed action) Make: The teacher made us do extra homework. (completed action) Let: My mom let me go to the party. (completed action)
Present Continuous Tense	Have: I’m having my computer repaired right now. (action in progress) Get: I’m getting my teeth cleaned next week. (future arrangement) Make: (Less common in continuous with causative meaning. Usually implies the act of making someone do something directly, not arranging for it.) “She is making him clean his room” is possible, but not a typical causative use. Let: (Rare in continuous with causative meaning. Usually used for the act of physically letting someone go, not giving permission.)
Past Continuous Tense	Have: I was having my portrait painted when the phone rang. (action in progress in the past) Get: (Less common in continuous with causative meaning, similar to present continuous.) Make: (Similar to present continuous, not typical for causative meaning.) Let: (Similar to present continuous, not typical for causative meaning.)
Present Perfect Tense	Have: I’ve had my car serviced. (completed action with relevance to the present) Get: I’ve gotten my passport renewed. (completed action with relevance to the present) Make: (Less common in perfect tenses with causative meaning.) Let: (Less common in perfect tenses with causative meaning.)
Past Perfect Tense	Have: I had had my dress altered before the wedding. (completed action before another action in the past) Get: I had gotten my tickets before they sold out. (completed action before another action in the past) Make: (Less common in perfect tenses with causative meaning.) Let: (Less common in perfect tenses with causative meaning.)
Future (Will)	Have: I will have my taxes done next week. (future arrangement) Get: I will get someone to fix the leak. (future arrangement) Make: (Less common in future with causative meaning. Usually implies a direct action of forcing, not arranging.)L et: My parents will let me go on the trip. (future permission)
Future (Going to)	Have: I’m going to have my house cleaned. (future plan) Get: I’m going to get my friend to help me. (future plan) Make: (Less common in future with causative meaning.) Let: My sister is going to let me borrow her car. (future permission)

*The tenses that work best with causative verbs are generally the simple tenses, perfect tenses, and future tenses.

Also Read: Tenses Cheat Sheet

Causative Verb Examples

Here are a variety of examples using causative verbs, focusing on ‘have’, ‘get’, ‘make’ and ‘let’ as they are the most common. 

Have (Arranging for someone to do something):

I had my car washed. (Someone else washed the car.)

She’s having a new dress made for the wedding. (A dressmaker is making the dress.)

We had the plumber fix the leaky faucet. (The plumber fixed the faucet.)

He had his portrait painted. (An artist painted the portrait.)

They had their house renovated. (A construction crew renovated the house.)

Get (Similar to ‘have,’ sometimes implying persuasion or when the agent is unspecified)

I got my brother to help me with my homework. (I persuaded him.)

She got her hair cut. (A hairdresser cut her hair.)

We got the tickets for the concert. (Someone obtained the tickets for us.)

He got his computer repaired. (Someone repaired his computer.)

They got the information they needed. (Someone obtained the information for them.)

‘Make’ (Forcing or compelling someone to do something)

My parents made me clean my room. (They forced me.)

The teacher made us do extra homework. (The teacher compelled us.)

The loud music made it difficult to concentrate. (The music compelled this feeling.)

He made his dog sit. (He compelled his dog.)

She made him apologise for his behaviour. (She compelled him.)

‘Let’ (Giving Permission)

My parents let me stay out late. (They gave me permission.)

The teacher let us use our notes on the test. (The teacher gave us permission.)

He let his friend borrow his car. (He gave his friend permission.)

She let the cat out of the bag. (Figuratively, she gave permission for the secret to be known.)

They let me know about the changes. (They gave me permission to know.)

100 Causative Verb Sentences

Here are 100 sentences using causative verbs, covering a range of tenses and verbs. 

Have:

I had my car serviced yesterday.	She’s having a new kitchen installed next month.
We had the windows cleaned last week.	He had his portrait painted by a famous artist.
They had their wedding photos taken at the park.	I’m having my suit dry-cleaned for the interview.
She had her hair styled for the party.	We had the roof repaired after the storm.
He had his watch fixed at the jewellery store.	They had their luggage shipped ahead of their trip.
I have my mail forwarded when I’m on vacation.	She has her groceries delivered every week.
We have our carpets cleaned annually.	He has his taxes done by an accountant.
They have their house fumigated for termites.	I had my eyes checked at the optometrist.
She’s having a party catered for her birthday.	We had the fence painted last summer.
He had his teeth whitened by the dentist.	They had their wedding rings engraved.

Get:

I got my brother to help me move the furniture.	She got her ears pierced at the mall.
We got the tickets for the concert online.	They got the information they needed from the library.
He got his computer fixed by a technician.	I’m getting my passport renewed next week.
She got her dress altered at the tailor’s.	We got the car washed at the car wash.
He got his shoes shined by the bootblack.	They got their photos printed at the drugstore.
I get my news from the internet.	She gets her inspiration from nature.
We get our coffee from the local roaster.	He gets his exercise at the gym.
They get their supplies from the warehouse.	I got lost on the way to the meeting.
She got caught in the rain without an umbrella.	We got stuck in traffic for two hours.
He got promoted to senior manager.	They got married last year in a small ceremony.

Make:

My parents made me clean my room.	The teacher made us do extra homework.
He made his dog sit and stay.	The loud music made it difficult to concentrate.
She made him apologise for his behaviour.	The cold weather made me shiver.
The movie made me cry.	The smell of cookies made me hungry.
He made her laugh with his funny stories.	They made him king of the club.
I made myself a cup of tea.	She made a cake for his birthday.
We made a reservation at the restaurant.	He made a promise to himself.
They made a lot of noise at the party.	The boss made them work late.
The difficult questions made me think hard.	The long journey made us tired.
The good news made her happy.	The bad news made him sad.

Let (Giving Permission)

My parents let me stay out late.	The teacher let us use our notes on the test.
He let his friend borrow his car.	They let me know about the changes.
She let the cat out of the bag.	My boss let me take a day off.
The sign lets you park for two hours.	The guard wouldn’t let us enter.
She let him hold her hand.	They let the children play in the garden.
I let my imagination run wild.	She let her hair grow long.
We let the dog out to play.	He let his feelings show.
They let their worries go.	The company let go of several employees.
The airline let us board early.	The hotel let us check in early.
The store let me return the item.	My parents let me choose my own college.

Test Your Knowledge on Causative Verbs!

Here are five engaging exercises designed to help you practice and reinforce your understanding of causative verbs. Each exercise focuses on different aspects of causative verbs, including their structures and meanings.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Instructions: Complete the sentences using the appropriate causative verb from the list: make, have, get, let, help.

1. The teacher ______ the students redo their assignments.
2. I ______ my car serviced last week.
3. She ______ her friend borrow her notes for the exam.
4. He ______ his parents to attend his graduation ceremony.
5. They ______ their dog stay outside during dinner.

Answers:

1. The teacher made the students redo their assignments.
2. I had my car serviced last week.
3. She let her friend borrow her notes for the exam.
4. He got his parents to attend his graduation ceremony.
5. They let their dog stay outside during dinner.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences

Instructions: Rewrite the following sentences using a causative verb where appropriate.

1. I asked my brother to fix my bike.
2. The manager required the team to submit their reports by Friday.
3. She allowed her children to play in the park.
4. He persuaded his friend to join him for dinner.
5. I arranged for a professional to clean my house.

Answers:

1. I had my brother fix my bike.
2. The manager made the team submit their reports by Friday.
3. She let her children play in the park.
4. He got his friend to join him for dinner.
5. I had a professional clean my house.

Exercise 3: Identify the Causative Verb

Instructions: Read the following sentences and identify the causative verb used. Then, explain its role in the sentence.

1. She had her hair styled for the wedding.
2. They let their dog run freely in the yard.
3. He made his brother apologize for being late.
4. I got my computer fixed yesterday.
5. The coach helped the players improve their skills.

Answers:

1. Causative Verb: had | Role: Indicates that she arranged for someone else to style her hair.
2. Causative Verb: let | Role: Indicates permission granted for the dog to run freely.
3. Causative Verb: made | Role: Indicates that he forced or required his brother to apologise.
4. Causative Verb: got | Role: Indicates that I persuaded someone else to fix my computer.
5. Causative Verb: helped | Role: Indicates assistance provided by the coach to improve skills.

Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences

Instructions: Using each of the following causative verbs, create your own original sentence that clearly demonstrates its meaning:

1. Make
2. Have
3. Get
4. Let
5. Help

Answers:

1.  Make: “The teacher made us study for the exam.”
2. Have: “I had my friend help me with my project.”
3. Get: “She got her parents to agree to let her go to the party.”
4. Let: “They let their kids choose what movie to watch.”
5. Help: “He helped me understand the complex math problem.”

Exercise 5: Transform Passive Sentences

Instructions: Transform the following passive sentences into active sentences using causative verbs where applicable.

1. The documents were prepared by the assistant.
2. The cake was baked by a professional chef.
3. The house was painted by a contractor.
4. The homework was completed by the students on time.
5. The car was washed by John yesterday.

Answers:

6.  The manager had the assistant prepare the documents.
7. She had a professional chef bake the cake.
8. They had a contractor paint the house.
9. The teacher made the students complete their homework on time.
10.  I had John wash my car yesterday.

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