Causative verbs show that one person causes someone else to do something for them — often by asking, paying, persuading, or forcing.
🔹 Have
Structure 1:
Subject + have (any tense) + person (object) + base form of verb + …
Examples:
Structure 2:
Subject + have (any tense) + thing (object) + past participle + …
Examples:
🔹 Get
Structure 1:
Subject + get (any tense) + person (object) + to + base form of verb + …
Examples:
Structure 2:
Subject + get (any tense) + thing (object) + past participle + …
Examples:
🔹 Make
Structure:
Subject + make (any tense) + person (object) + base form of verb + …
(Note: ‘Make’ is stronger than ‘have/get’. It does not have a passive form.)
Examples:
🔹 Let
‘Let’ means ‘allow’ or ‘permit’ but uses a unique structure.
Structure:
Subject + let (any tense) + person (object) + base form of verb + …
Examples:
Note:
Permit/Allow use the regular infinitive:
Subject + allow/permit + object + to + base form
Examples:
🔹 Help
‘Help’ is not strictly a causative verb but works like one. It has two possible patterns.
Structure 1:
Subject + help (any tense) + person (object) + base form of verb + …
Examples:
Structure 2:
Subject + help (any tense) + object + to + base form of verb + …
NOTE: Have, Make, Let do not require an infinitive (to + base form) — they take the bare base verb instead.
Get and Help usually do take an infinitive (to + base form).
You can remember this with HAMLET:
Examples:
