Causative verbs in English

Causative verbs are used when the subject causes, arranges, allows, persuades or helps another person or thing to do something. They can also be used when the subject arranges for an action to be done to someone or something.

The most common causative verbs are make, have, get, let and help. Each causative verb is followed by a particular verb form, so it is important to learn the structure as well as the meaning.

Causative verbs commonly appear in the Subject + Verb + Object + Verb (SVOV) sentence structure. In this structure, the second verb comes after the object and may take different forms depending on the causative verb, including a bare infinitive, a to-infinitive or a past participle.

Causative verb structures

The table below summarises the most common causative verb structures. A bare infinitive is the base form of a verb without to, while a to-infinitive consists of to + the base form.

Make as a causative verb

Make is used when the subject forces, requires or causes another person or thing to perform an action.

subject + make + object + bare infinitive

The object performs the second action, and the verb after the object takes the bare infinitive without to:

• She made him apologise.
• My mum always makes me tidy my room.
• The film made me cry.
• The cold weather made the pipes freeze.

Make + object + adjective or noun

Make can also be followed by an adjective or noun after the object to describe a state, quality or role that the subject causes.

subject + make + object + adjective

• He makes her happy.
• The football score made my dad angry.
• That experience made me more confident.

subject + make + object + noun

• The board made her chairperson.
• Her bravery made her a hero.
• The voters made him president.

These structures have a causative meaning, but unlike make + object + bare infinitive, they do not contain a second verb.

Make in the passive

When causative make is used in the active voice, the second verb takes the bare infinitive. However, when make is used in the passive voice, the second verb takes the to-infinitive:

• The manager made us work late. (active)
• → We were made to work late. (passive)
• The teacher made him apologise. (active)
• → He was made to apologise. (passive)

Have as a causative verb

Have can be used as a causative verb when the subject arranges, asks or instructs another person to perform an action.

subject + have + object + bare infinitive

The object performs the second action, and the second verb does not use to:

• I’ll have my assistant send you the information.
• We had the electrician check the wiring.
• The teacher had the students rewrite their answers.
• She had someone look at the computer.

Get as a causative verb

Get can be used as a causative verb when the subject persuades, convinces or manages to cause another person or thing to perform an action.

subject + get + object + to-infinitive

The object performs the second action, but unlike have, get is followed by a to-infinitive:

• I’ll get my brother to help us.
• We need to get people to vote.
• She eventually got him to change his mind.
• We finally got the engine to start.

Compared with have + object + bare infinitive, get + object + to-infinitive often suggests that some persuasion or effort was needed, or that the subject successfully managed to make something happen.

Have / get + object + past participle

With have + object + bare infinitive and get + object + to-infinitive, the object performs the second action:

• have + object + bare infinitive: I had the mechanic check the car.
• get + object + to-infinitive: I got the mechanic to check the car.

However, both have and get can be followed by object + past participle when the object receives the action:

subject + have / get + object + past participle

• I had the car checked.
• I got the car checked.

In this structure, the subject usually arranges for another person to perform the action, while the object receives the action rather than performing it:

• I’m having my hair cut tomorrow.
• We had the car repaired last week.
• I need to get my laptop fixed.
• They got their house extended.
• She has had her eyes tested.
• We got our cat vaccinated.

For comparison:

• I repaired my car. (I performed the repair myself)
• I had / got my car repaired. (Someone else repaired it for me)

Get is particularly common in informal English, but have and get usually have very similar meanings in this structure. The person who performs the action is normally not mentioned because the focus is on the action or its result.

The have + object + past participle structure can also describe something that happens to someone or their possessions rather than something they deliberately arrange, particularly an unwanted experience:

• She had her phone stolen on the train.
• He had his passport taken from his bag.
• We had our flight cancelled.

Let as a causative verb

Let is used when the subject allows another person or thing to do something or does not prevent something from happening.

subject + let + object + bare infinitive

The object performs the second action, and the verb after the object takes the bare infinitive without to:

• My dad never lets me stay out late.
• Let him eat his meal in peace.
• The teacher let the students leave early.
• We opened the window to let some fresh air come in.

Allow / permit + object + to-infinitive

Allow and permit can also be used to give permission. However, unlike let, they are followed by a to-infinitive after the object:

subject + allow / permit + object + to-infinitive

• My dad never allows me to stay out late.
• The teacher allowed the students to leave early.
• The museum permits visitors to take photographs.

Allow is generally more formal than let, while permit is particularly common in formal rules and regulations.

Let, allow and permit in the passive

We do not use let in the passive with this meaning. Instead, use be allowed to:

• ❌ We were let leave early.
• ✅ We were allowed to leave early.

Permit can also be used in the passive, particularly in formal contexts:

• Visitors are permitted to take photographs.
• Passengers are not permitted to enter this area.

Help as a causative verb

Help is often grouped with causative verbs because the subject assists another person in performing an action.

subject + help + object + bare infinitive / to-infinitive

The object performs the second action. The verb after the object can take either the bare infinitive or the to-infinitive, and both forms are correct:

• Simon helped his friend move house.
• Simon helped his friend to move house.

• Can you help me carry this box?
• Can you help me to carry this box?

• I helped my husband prepare dinner.
• I helped my husband to prepare dinner.

There is no difference in meaning between the two structures. The form without to is especially common in informal and spoken English.

Other verbs with causative meanings

Other verbs can also express causative meanings, particularly when they describe causing, persuading, forcing or enabling someone to perform an action. Many of these verbs follow the structure:

subject + verb + object + to-infinitive

Common mistakes with causative verbs

Different causative verbs require different verb forms. One of the most common mistakes is using to where a bare infinitive is required, or leaving to out where a to-infinitive is required.

Using to after make

• ❌ She made me to apologise.
• ✅ She made me apologise.

However, remember that passive make requires the to-infinitive:

• ✅ I was made to apologise.

Using to after let

• ❌ My parents let me to stay out late.
• ✅ My parents let me stay out late.

Using to after have

• ❌ I had the mechanic to check the brakes.
• ✅ I had the mechanic check the brakes.

Forgetting to after get

• ❌ I got him help me.
• ✅ I got him to help me.

Using the wrong verb form with have/get + object + past participle

When the object receives the action, use the past participle:

• ❌ I had my phone repair yesterday.
• ✅ I had my phone repaired yesterday.

• ❌ We got the windows clean.
• ✅ We got the windows cleaned.

Free causative verbs worksheets