Ch 12

Causative (advanced)

make/get/have · perception verbs · help

Causative — beyond have/get something done

At C1 you master perception verbs with -ing/bare infinitive, complex causative structures, and the subtle distinction between "have someone do" and "have something done".

have/get something done
She had her hair cut. (arranged service)
have someone do
I had the cleaner come at 9. (instruction/arrangement)
get someone to do
I got him to apologise. (persuasion)
make someone do
She made me wait. (force/cause)

Perception verbs + bare infinitive vs -ing

+ bare inf (complete action)
I saw him leave.
whole action witnessed
We heard her sing the song.
+ -ing (action in progress)
I saw him leaving.
caught a moment of it
We heard her singing while we cooked.
Perception verbs: see, hear, watch, notice, observe, feel + object + bare inf (complete) OR + object + -ing (ongoing).

Causative with "make" — passive twist

Active
She made me apologise. (bare infinitive)
Passive
I was made to apologise. (to infinitive returns!)
Active
They made him stay.
Passive
He was made to stay.
"Make" takes bare infinitive in active but "to + infinitive" in passive. This is a famous C1/C2 exam trap.

Help — flexible structure

help + bare inf
She helped me find the answer.
help + to inf
She helped me to find the answer.
help + object + with
She helped me with the project.
can't help + -ing
I can't help laughing. (cannot stop oneself)

Causative with get + ing

Start an action / process

get + ing
Let's get going. (start moving)
get someone + -ing
The teacher got the students talking. (caused/started)
get + object + to + base
I got him to help me. (persuaded)
have + object + -ing
He'll have you laughing in no time. (cause to)

Common mistakes

I was made apologise.
I was made to apologise.
"make" in passive needs "to"
I saw him to leave the building.
I saw him leave the building.
perception verb + bare infinitive
I got him do my homework.
I got him to do my homework.
"get" needs "to" with object
I can't help to laugh.
I can't help laughing.
can't help + -ing (fixed idiom)

Recap

make
active: bare inf · passive: to inf
made me go / was made to go
get
+ object + to + base (persuasion)
got him to apologise
perception
see/hear + obj + bare (complete) / -ing (ongoing)
saw him leave / leaving
help
flexible: bare inf OR to inf
helped me (to) find
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