Causative patterns
The verb you choose controls the form of the next verb, so learn each pattern as a unit.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have + thing + past participle | Arrange for a service | We had the kitchen painted. |
| get + thing + past participle | Arrange for a service (a little less formal) | I need to get my phone repaired. |
| have + person + base verb | Ask or arrange for someone to do it | I'll have the receptionist call you. |
| get + person + to-infinitive | Persuade someone to do it | She got her brother to help her. |
| make + person + base verb | Force someone to do it | The coach made us run ten laps. |
| let + person + base verb | Allow someone to do it | My parents let me study abroad. |
Have something done for bad experiences
The same pattern describes something unpleasant that happened to you, where you caused nothing: "She had her bag stolen on the train." Get is also used this way in informal speech: "He got his wallet stolen."
Have and get also work in any tense: "I'm having my eyes tested tomorrow." "We've just had the roof fixed."
Make and let in the passive
In the passive, make takes the to-infinitive: "The workers were made to sign a new contract."
Let has no passive form. Use be allowed to instead: "Students were allowed to leave early", not "were let to leave".
Common mistakes
Wrong: She got him wash the car.
Right: She got him to wash the car.
Get + person takes the to-infinitive.
Wrong: My parents let me to travel alone.
Right: My parents let me travel alone.
Let + person takes the bare infinitive.
Wrong: He had his car wash yesterday.
Right: He had his car washed yesterday.
Have + thing takes a past participle.
Wrong: I am going to repair my laptop at the shop.
Right: I am going to get my laptop repaired at the shop.
If someone else does the repair, use the causative.
Using this in IELTS and PTE
Causatives fit IELTS Speaking Part 1 topics about daily life and services: "I usually get my clothes ironed at a shop near home." In IELTS Writing Task 2 and PTE Write Essay, make and get are useful for policies: "Higher taxes would make companies reduce emissions." Using the causative where a learner would wrongly say "I repaired my car" shows accurate control of meaning.
5 questions
Exercise
Try each one, then open it to check your answer.
1. Complete this: "I had my eyes ___ (test) last week."
tested
Have + thing takes the past participle.
2. Complete this: "Can you get Ravi ___ (send) the file?"
to send
Get + person takes the to-infinitive.
3. Correct this: "The teacher made us to stay late."
The teacher made us stay late.
Make + person takes the bare infinitive in the active.
4. Make this passive: "They made him apologise."
He was made to apologise.
Passive make takes to.
5. What does "She had her purse stolen" mean?
Someone stole her purse.
The pattern can describe an unpleasant event, not something she arranged.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between have something done and get something done?+
They mean almost the same. Get is a little more informal and can suggest effort or urgency: "I must get this report finished today."
What is the difference between make and let?+
Make means force: "They made me wait." Let means allow: "They let me wait inside." Both take the bare infinitive in the active.
Is have something done a passive?+
It is a separate causative pattern, but it has a passive meaning because the object receives the action: in "I had my car washed", the car was washed by someone else.
Keep going
More grammar lessons
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