The causative form shows that someone arranges for or influences another person to do something. It’s also one of the passives because the subject does not perform the action directly but causes it to happen.
Causative verbs include have, and get. If you’d like to study Passive Voice first, click here.
Causative Form: Structure Variations
1. Have + object + past participle (causative have)
We use have when we ask, arrange, or pay for someone to do a service for us.
Structure: Subject + have + object + past participle
Example: She had her car washed.
Explanation: She did not wash the car herself. Someone else (for example, a car wash employee) did it for her. Moreover, the sentence focuses on the service being arranged, not on who did it. In general, this structure is common with services such as hairdresser, housekeeping, repairs.
2. Get + object + past participle (passive meaning)
We can also use get with a past participle to express a similar idea, but in a more informal way.
Structure: Subject + get + object + past participle
Example: We got the house painted last week.
Explanation: Again, the subject did not do the action. Someone else painted the house. Using get instead of have makes the sentence sound more conversational and less formal. In everyday English, get is often preferred in spoken language.
3. Get + object + to + base verb (persuasion)
When get is followed by infinitive, the meaning changes. In this case, get means to persuade or convince someone to do something.
Structure: Subject + get + object + infinitive
Example: He got his friend to help him.
Explanation: Here, the speaker emphasizes the effort or influence used to make the other person act. His friend helped him because he convinced him to do so. Generally, this structure highlights persuasion, not a service.
For other uses on infinitive, click here.
Causative Form: Table with key differences
| Verb | Meaning | Structure | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Have | Ask or arrange for someone to do something (service or instruction) | Subject + have + object + past participle | She had her car washed. | Someone else washed her car (arranged service). |
| Get (passive meaning) | Arrange for someone to do something (more informal) | Subject + get + object + past participle | We got the house painted last week. | Someone painted the house for us. |
| Get (persuade) | Persuade or convince someone to do something | Subject + get + object + to + base verb | He got his friend to help him. | He convinced his friend to help. |
Exercises on Causative Form
More Exercises: LiveWorksheets1 | LiveWorksheets2 | LiveWorksheets3 | LiveWorksheets4 | PerfectEnglish | ToLearnEnglish | EnglishExercises |