Making Something Happen
Causative Verbs
'Make' and 'have' are also used as causative verbs. Causative verbs are similar to the passive form because they are used to express the idea of someone causing something to take place.
Example:
Frank had Holly code a serial slave program.
Fred had Bill comment out the source code.
They didn't make him reprogram the codec.
Causative Verb Make
Use 'make' as a causative to express that the subject requires others to take the desired action.
Positive Form:
Subject + Make + Person + Verb
We made the shell program load too slowly.
Negative Form:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Not Make + Person + Verb
They didn't make him reprogram the codec.
Question Form:
(Wh?) Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Make + Person + Verb
How did you make him simplify the command line?
Causative Verb Have
Use 'have' as a causative to express that the subject requests others to take the desired action. The causative verb 'have' is most often used when speaking about various services. There are two forms of the causative verb 'have'
Positive Form:
Subject + Make + Person + Verb
Fred had Bill comment out the source code.
Negative Form:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Not Make + Person + Verb
The boss didn't have his staff use snail-mail to contact customers.
Question Form:
(Wh?) Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Make + Person + Verb
How did you have Peter compress that audio file?