G5: Verb Tenses VII - Causatives ... get /
have / help / let / make
by Tom Rohrbach
Multiple Choice Quiz
A "causative"
is a 'special use' verb in English that is
followed by a noun and either an infinitive
or a base verb. A causative causes
something to happen. Below is a chart
to show you the causatives, their grammar,
and their meanings.
CAUSATIVES: get
/ have / help / let / make
VERB
GRAMMAR
MEANING
EXAMPLES
get
.. to
do
find a
way to get another to do what you want - for
example, by convincing, paying, trading, tricking,
begging, threatening, blackmailing, etc.
○
I got my friends to help me by promising them a free
dinner afterwards.
○ She got the politician to give her a job by
threatening to reveal his secrets.
have
.. do
"have" usually means
getting someone to do something
in a normal, polite way, not in a bad way
○ Her coffee wasn't hot, so she had the waiter bring
her another cup.
○ Mary had the dealer detail her car while it
was in the shop for new brakes.
help
.. to do OR do
help someone!
○
My knowledge of Spanish is helping me learn
Portuguese. OR
○ My knowledge of
Spanish is helping me to learn Portuguese.
let
.. do
give someone permission;
allow something to happen
○ My boss is letting me leave early tomorrow for
my sister's wedding.
○ I let my subscription to the magazine expire
because I don't read it anymore.
make
.. do
force someone to do something - because somehow,
you have power or control
over them
○
Mean Johnny makes his little brother do his chores for
him every weekend.
○ Our coach makes us run laps at the end of
every soccer practice.
I don’t like my new boss. She __ me work two extra hours yesterday.
let
helped
made
got
James is a great salesman! He can __ almost anyone to buy almost anything.
get
have
help
make
—Do you want me to work on the Wilson project with you? —No need. The architect __ me finish it this morning.
got
had
helped
let
My wife won’t __ me go out with the guys to the pool hall, so we’re going to buy a pool table for the house.
have
help
let
make
Steve Jobs __ his workers re-do the color of an icon on the first iPhone seven times until he was satisfied with it!
got
had
helped
let
Steve Jobs __ his workers to re-do the color of an icon on the first iPhone seven times until he was satisfied with it!
got
had
helped
let
Since the plumber was already at my house to install the new water heater, I also __ him fix the leaky faucet in the kitchen.
got
had
helped
made
The bank in France __ me show them 3 different photo IDs before they would let me transfer funds to my checking account.
got
helped
let
made
The bank in Austria __ me show them my American driver’s license and my passport before they would let me get cash from my Visa card.
got
had
helped
let
Hey, don’t __ me forget to turn on the security system before we leave the house.
get
have
let
make
A polar bear’s thick fur coat __ it to survive the cold Arctic winters.
gets
has
helps
makes
I __ my classmate to do my homework for me by bribing her with chocolates.
got
had
let
made
I can’t stand it anymore. I am going to __ my glasses fixed as soon as possible! CHOOSE THE ONE WITH ALL POSSIBLE CORRECT ANSWERS:
have OR let
get OR have
let OR make
Sir Arthur Eddington _____ his general theory of relativity by observing starlight bending around the sun during a solar eclipse. CHOOSE THE ONE WITH ALL POSSIBLE CORRECT ANSWERS:
