Causative Verbs in English Grammar

Causative Verb

Grammar Rules

• A causative verb is a verb that expresses causing something to happen or be done.
• Causative verbs are often used in combination with other verbs to indicate the means by which an action is performed.
• The most common causative verbs in English are:
  • make
  • have
  • get
  • let
• The grammatical structure of a causative verb sentence typically follows this pattern:
  • Subject + causative verb + object + base form of the main verb
  • Example: "She made him eat breakfast." (She is the subject, made is the causative verb, him is the object, and eat is the main verb)

Passive Vs Active Voice

• Active Voice: The subject performs the action described by the verb.
  • Example: "She made him eat breakfast." (The subject "She" performs the action of making)
• Passive Voice: The subject receives the action described by the verb.
  • Example: "He was made to eat breakfast." (The subject "He" receives the action of being made)
• When using causative verbs, the passive voice is often used to emphasize the person or thing affected by the action.
  • Example: "The play was made to be performed on Broadway." (The subject "The play" receives the action of being made)
• In general, active voice is more common and preferred in writing, while passive voice can be used to add variety and emphasize certain aspects of the sentence.

Causative Verb

• A causative verb is a verb that expresses causing something to happen or be done.
• Causative verbs are often used in combination with other verbs to indicate the means by which an action is performed.

Common Causative Verbs

• The most common causative verbs in English are: make, have, get, and let.

Grammatical Structure

• The grammatical structure of a causative verb sentence typically follows this pattern: Subject + causative verb + object + base form of the main verb.
• Example: "She made him eat breakfast." (She is the subject, made is the causative verb, him is the object, and eat is the main verb)

Passive Vs Active Voice

Active Voice

• In active voice, the subject performs the action described by the verb.
• Example: "She made him eat breakfast." (The subject "She" performs the action of making)

Passive Voice

• In passive voice, the subject receives the action described by the verb.
• Example: "He was made to eat breakfast." (The subject "He" receives the action of being made)
• Passive voice is often used to emphasize the person or thing affected by the action.
• Example: "The play was made to be performed on Broadway." (The subject "The play" receives the action of being made)

Voice Preference

• Active voice is more common and preferred in writing.
• Passive voice can be used to add variety and emphasize certain aspects of the sentence.

Learn about causative verbs, their usage, and grammatical structure in English sentences. This quiz covers the rules and examples of causative verbs such as make, have, get, and let.