Unit 16 - Causative Verbs

Causative Verbs

Unit 16 - Causative Verbs

Causative verbs show that somebody/something is indirectly responsible for an action. The subject doesn't perform the action itself, but causes someone/something else to do it instead. For example:
- Yesterday I had my hair cut.
I didn't cut my own hair, but I made someone else do it for me instead - I "caused" them to cut my hair.

Have

Have is a common causative verb. Instead of doing something ourselves, we "have" someone else do it instead. It has the following form:
The verb "to have" + object + past participle. For example:
- I had my jacket cleaned yesterday.
- Did you have your computer fixed?

Sometimes we use have as a causative verb when we intend to perform the action ourselves. For example:
- When will the report be ready? I'll do it by tomorrow morning. >>
- When will the report be ready? I'll have it done by tomorrow morning.

By using the causative the second sentence takes attention away from the doer of the action, and gives more attention to the action being done. It sounds polite and professional.

Get

Get is often used instead of have. For example:
- I got my computer fixed - I had my computer fixed. These two sentences mean the same thing.
- I got my jacket cleane. - I had my jacket cleaned. These two sentences mean the same thing.

Causative verbs are often used with negative experiences. In these situations it's more common to use have. For example:
- I had my wallet stolen. (I didn't actually cause my wallet to be stolen - someone stole my wallet from me)
- She had her window smashed.

For more information on Causative verbs see:
- http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/let.html

Grammar Exercise

Example: I ____ my car fixed.

a) got
b) have

The answer is: a) got
----------

1. I ______ my clothes dry cleaned.
a) has
b) got

2. I went to the dentist _____ my teeth cleaned.
a) get
b) to get

3. Tomorrow, I _____ my house cleaned by a maid service.
a) will
b) will have

4. I ______ fixing my car.
a) am
b) get

5. I need _____ my television fixed.
a) get
b) to get

6. I ______ do my homework.
a) will
b) will have

7. I _____ a divorce last year.
a) had
b) to got

8. I ____ rejected by the top school I wanted to attend.
a) have
b) got

9. He ____ depressed due to the news of a sudden death in his family.
a) had
b) got

10. He _____ the language course.
a) finished
b) got finished

Answers

"b","b","b","a","b","a","a","b","b","a"

Sylvia: Last night’s episode of Modern Family was very funny.
Tyler: Yes it was. But I thought your TV was broken?
Sylvia: Oh, not anymore. I got the TV fixed.

Andrew:  Your hair looks beautiful!
Erin: Yes, I got my hair done at that new place. They did a great job.

Wife: Can you clean the dishes?
Husband: I’ll make sure everything in the kitchen is clean within a few hours.