EF4/5 Causative Verbs

Causative Verbs

Causative verbsmake other verbs act.  They force actions to occur.

Both of the previous sentences contained causative verbs.

“Causative verbsmakeother verbs act.  They force actions to occur.”

The most frequently used causative verbs are as follows:

help, allow, invite, require, motivate, get, convince, hire, assist, encourage, permit, employ, force, compel, tell, ask.

These verbs are followed by a noun or pronoun followed by an infinitive.

“She allows her pet cockatiel to perch on the windowsill. “Wehired a carpenter to build a new patio on our house."

“I help my friend to fix his computer.”

Fourother causative verbs do not follow this pattern.  The causative verbs help, have, make and letare followed by a noun/pronoun and the base form of the verb (which is actually an infinitive with the "to" left off).

“She makes him do his homework.”

“He lets his daughter use his camera.

“The boy helps his mother fold the laundry.

Notice help can be used either way.

1. Can you help me get a job?
I helped my sister find a job.
My brother will help me finish the job. 
My brother will help me to finish the job.

2. She allows her children to have/eat candy if they promise to brush their teeth. HIGH LEVEL

3. I asked her to phone home.
I asked her to call me on the phone.

4. She encourages her son to do well in school.

5. She made her daughter to clean up her room.
She made her robot to clean up her room.
She made her Roomba clean her floor.

He made a healthy breakfast. NOT CAUSATIVE

He made his children eat a healthy breakfast. CAUSATIVE

6. Let's go to the park.

She let her brother park in her garage.

She let her brother park his antique convertible in her garage over the winter.