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:
The Community Foundation didn't make us submit a lot of paperwork before we received our funding.
The filmmaker didn't have the cast stay for a screening of the daily rushes.
The Community Health and Rural Development Society had the canvassers collect signatures.
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
This made the research process too complicated.
Negative Form:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Not Make + Person + Verb
Government didn't make industry conserve the finite natural resource called oil.
Question Form:
(Wh?) Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Make + Person + Verb
What did the community groups make the corporations give up last year?
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
Frank had Tom share his scientific evaluation of the data.
Negative Form:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Not Make + Person + Verb
The filmmaker didn't have the cast stay for a screening of the daily rushes.
Question Form:
(Wh?) Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Make + Person + Verb
Where did you have Kevin set up the conflict management seminar.