Get Ideas, Answers, & Help!
...sign up for the FREE 10-day minicourse now!
Join the weekly newsletter for tips and activities Name:
E-mail:
Want to know more?
Free Updates to Heads Up English! What is RSS + 6 reasons to get updates

Sponsors









links
Causative Verbs I (Passive)
User Rating: / 59
PoorBest 
Written by Chris Cotter   

What are passive causative verbs?
We use this structure to talk about having something done by another person/thing. Take a look at the following example:

     Peter had his house repaired after the tornado last year.
     The President had his speech written by a very talented group of writers.

In both cases, the person (Peter and the President) arranged for something (repairing a house and writing a speech) to be done by a third person.

What is the sentence structure?
Passive causatives use the following structure:

     subject | causative verb | object | past participle

     I | had | the car | tuned up.
     He | had | his home entertainment system | installed a few days ago.
     Our neighbors | will have | their lawn | mowed.

How are causatives used?
Passive causatives almost always use the verb have, and got to a lesser extent. The sentence structure expresses a service you have done, usually by a third person. Car repairs, haircuts, or the installation of home entertainment systems are some examples. Here are a few more:

     I got my car washed and waxed at the new service station.
     He will have a deck built next summer.
     Although I hate the dentist, I have had my teeth cleaned regularly.

Is there additional information on passive causative sentences?
Yes, there are two more points. Need and want may be used in passive causative sentences. In some cases, the passive causative verb (had / got) may be dropped altogether.

     I need to have the car tuned up.
     I need the car tuned up.

In addition, modal auxiliary verbs may be used with the causative sentence structure. Most often, modals express a suggestion by the speaker, such as: You should have your hair cut. Unlike need and want, though, the causative verb must always accompany the modal verb. Look at the following structure and example:

     subject | modal auxiliary verb | causative verb | object | past participle
     He | should | have | his suits | cleaned.


Printables:

You might also be interested in:


Bookmark & Share:

Delicious del.icio.us
Stumble Stumble It!

RSS Updates via email
email Send to a friend


Better Language Teaching Add to Cart Learn More
or sign up for the FREE email minicourse!
Name:
E-mail:
 
   
Resources

Who's behind Heads Up English?

chrisMy name is Chris Cotter, and I'm a full time English teacher and curriculum designer. I've been a working in the English industry for more twelve years, and this site serves the following purposes:

1: To spread my ideas, methods, and successes in the classroom to teachers and students all over the world.

2: To help people realize their goal of becoming better English speakers.

3: To force me to learn more, and become a better teacher and materials' designer.

4: And last but not least, to maintain my sanity.

You can read more at my about page. I also encourage you to connect with me via the following social media sites. I'm happy to answer questions, take suggestions, and just talk about ESL.

stumbleupon  Add me on StumbleUpon.
twitter  Follow my live conversations at Twitter.
delicious  Browse through my bookmarks at del.icio.us.
delicious  Connect with me professionally on LinkedIn.

Twitter Updates
Home | Advanced | Upper-Intermediate | Lower-Intermediate | ESL Links
   Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.