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Using have, get, make, let and help in causative constructions.
Causative verbs express that one person causes another person or thing to perform an action.
English commonly uses make, let, have, get and help to express causation.
She made him clean his room.
Она заставила его убрать свою комнату.
"Make" expresses causing someone to do something.
They let us use the pool.
Они разрешили нам пользоваться бассейном.
"Let" expresses permission.
I had the mechanic check the brakes.
Я попросил механика проверить тормоза.
"Have" can mean arranging for someone to do something.
We got him to agree to the plan.
Мы убедили его согласиться с планом.
"Get" expresses successful persuasion.
Make is followed by an object and the bare infinitive.
Examples include The teacher made the students stay and The joke made everyone laugh.
The teacher made the students stay after class.
Учитель заставил учеников остаться после урока.
"Make" is followed by the bare infinitive (without "to").
The joke made everyone laugh.
Шутка заставила всех смеяться.
"Make" + object + bare infinitive expresses causing an action.
Her parents made her apologize.
Её родители заставили её извиниться.
The bare infinitive follows the object.
Don’t make me repeat it again.
Не заставляй меня повторять это снова.
Negative imperative with "make".
The cold weather made us stay indoors.
Холодная погода заставила нас остаться дома.
Subject can be a thing, not only a person.
Let expresses permission and is followed by the bare infinitive.
Examples include Let me help you and They let the children play outside.
Let me help you with that.
Позволь мне помочь тебе с этим.
"Let" expresses permission; the bare infinitive follows the object.
They let the children play outside.
Они разрешили детям играть на улице.
"Let" + object + bare infinitive is common for giving permission.
Please let me know if you need anything.
Пожалуйста, дайте мне знать, если вам что-нибудь понадобится.
Fixed expression "let me know".
She never lets her dog run off the leash.
Она никогда не позволяет своей собаке бегать без поводка.
Negative form with "never".
Help may be followed by either the bare infinitive or the to-infinitive.
Both Help me carry this and Help me to carry this are correct.
Help me carry this box.
Помоги мне нести эту коробку.
Bare infinitive after "help" is common in informal English.
Help me to carry this box.
Помоги мне нести эту коробку.
The to-infinitive is also correct after "help".
She helped him finish the project.
Она помогла ему закончить проект.
Bare infinitive after "help" is very frequent.
Can you help me to understand this rule?
Можешь помочь мне понять это правило?
To-infinitive is acceptable, especially in more formal contexts.
He helped us organize the event.
Он помог нам организовать мероприятие.
After "help" both forms are correct; the bare infinitive is often preferred.
Have can mean arranging for someone to perform an action.
Example: I had the assistant print the report.
I had the assistant print the report.
Я попросил ассистента распечатать отчёт.
"Have" + object + bare infinitive means arranging for someone to do something.
She had her brother fix the computer.
Она попросила своего брата починить компьютер.
The person performing the action is the object.
We had the gardener plant new flowers.
Мы попросили садовника посадить новые цветы.
"Have" expresses arranging or instructing.
He had his secretary book the tickets.
Он попросил своего секретаря забронировать билеты.
The bare infinitive is used after the object.
Get expresses persuasion or successful encouragement.
Example: She got him to apologize.
She got him to apologize.
Она убедила его извиниться.
"Get" expresses persuasion or successful encouragement; the to-infinitive is required.
I got my brother to lend me his car.
Я уговорил брата одолжить мне свою машину.
"Get" + object + to-infinitive shows the result of persuasion.
We got the children to clean their rooms.
Мы уговорили детей убрать свои комнаты.
The to-infinitive is used after the object.
He got his friend to help him move.
Он уговорил друга помочь ему с переездом.
"Get" is often less formal than "persuade".
She finally got them to agree.
Она наконец добилась их согласия.
The construction emphasises successful outcome.
Have + object + past participle expresses arranging for a service.
Examples include have your hair cut, have the roof repaired and have your eyes tested.
I need to have my hair cut.
Мне нужно подстричься.
"Have + object + past participle" means arranging for a service by someone else.
We had the roof repaired last week.
Нам отремонтировали крышу на прошлой неделе.
The past participle follows the object.
You should have your eyes tested.
Тебе следует проверить зрение.
Common expression for medical or optical checks.
She is having her car serviced tomorrow.
Завтра её машину будут обслуживать.
The continuous form shows an arrangement in progress.
They had their house painted.
Они покрасили дом (наняли кого-то).
The speaker arranged for someone else to paint the house.
Get + object + past participle also expresses arranging for a service.
This construction is especially common in spoken English.
I need to get my watch fixed.
Мне нужно починить часы.
"Get + object + past participle" is especially common in spoken English.
She got her hair dyed blonde.
Она покрасила волосы в блондинку.
Meaning: she arranged for someone to dye her hair.
We should get the roof checked before winter.
Нам нужно проверить крышу до зимы.
Informal alternative to "have the roof checked".
He got his computer repaired yesterday.
Он вчера отремонтировал свой компьютер (с помощью специалиста).
The past participle after the object indicates the service.
The person performing the action is often unknown or unimportant.
Compare I repaired my car with I had my car repaired.
I repaired my car.
Я отремонтировал свою машину (сам).
Active meaning: the subject performed the action.
I had my car repaired.
Мне отремонтировали машину (кто-то другой).
Causative passive: the subject arranged for someone else to do it.
She cut her hair.
Она подстригла волосы (сама).
The subject performed the action.
She had her hair cut.
Ей подстригли волосы (в парикмахерской).
The causative construction indicates a service received.
Make and force both express compulsion but follow different patterns.
Make takes the bare infinitive, while force requires the to-infinitive.
The teacher made the students stay.
Учитель заставил учеников остаться.
"Make" + bare infinitive expresses compulsion.
The teacher forced the students to stay.
Учитель заставил учеников остаться.
"Force" requires the to-infinitive.
They made him confess.
Они заставили его признаться.
Bare infinitive after "make".
They forced him to confess.
Они вынудили его признаться.
To-infinitive after "force".
The bad weather forced us to cancel the trip.
Плохая погода вынудила нас отменить поездку.
"Force" is often used with impersonal subjects like weather or circumstances.
Let and allow both express permission.
Let takes the bare infinitive, while allow requires the to-infinitive.
Let me help you.
Позволь мне помочь тебе.
"Let" is followed by the bare infinitive.
Allow me to help you.
Позвольте мне помочь вам.
"Allow" is followed by the to-infinitive.
They let the children play outside.
Они разрешили детям играть на улице.
"Let" + bare infinitive is informal and common.
They allowed the children to play outside.
Они разрешили детям играть на улице.
"Allow" + to-infinitive is more formal.
Get and persuade often express successful encouragement.
Persuade is usually more formal than get.
I got him to come to the party.
Я уговорил его прийти на вечеринку.
"Get" is informal and very common in spoken English.
I persuaded him to come to the party.
Я убедил его прийти на вечеринку.
"Persuade" is more formal and may imply using reasons.
She got her parents to buy her a new phone.
Она уговорила родителей купить ей новый телефон.
Informal causative with "get".
The lawyer persuaded the jury to acquit him.
Адвокат убедил присяжных оправдать его.
Formal context: "persuade" is appropriate.
Modal verbs can combine with causative constructions.
Examples include You should have your eyes tested and We must get this fixed.
You should have your eyes tested.
Тебе следует проверить зрение.
Modal + have something done.
We must get this fixed immediately.
Нам нужно немедленно это починить.
Modal + get something done.
Can you have the report ready by tomorrow?
Можешь подготовить отчёт к завтрашнему дню?
Modal + have + object + adjective/past participle.
She might get her assistant to call you.
Возможно, она попросит своего ассистента позвонить вам.
Modal + get + object + to-infinitive.
You shouldn’t let them treat you like that.
Тебе не следует позволять им так с тобой обращаться.
Modal + let + object + bare infinitive.
Causative structures occur in all tenses.
Examples include had the car repaired, is having the roof repaired and will get it fixed.
I had the car repaired last month.
Мне отремонтировали машину в прошлом месяце.
Past simple causative with "have something done".
She is having the roof repaired now.
Сейчас ей ремонтируют крышу.
Present continuous causative.
We will get it fixed tomorrow.
Завтра мы это починим (с помощью кого-то).
Future with "get something done".
He has had his house painted twice.
Он красил дом уже дважды (нанимал мастеров).
Present perfect causative.
They are going to have the documents delivered.
Им доставят документы (они организуют доставку).
Future with "going to" and causative.
Negative forms express preventing or refusing an action.
Examples include They did not let us leave and She could not get him to agree.
They did not let us leave.
Они не разрешили нам уйти.
Negative causative with "let".
She could not get him to agree.
Она не смогла убедить его согласиться.
Negative with "get" indicates failure to persuade.
The teacher didn’t make us rewrite the essay.
Учитель не заставил нас переписывать эссе.
Negative with "make".
We won’t have the documents sent until Monday.
Мы не отправим документы до понедельника.
Negative future causative with "have something done".
Some causative constructions themselves appear in passive sentences.
Example: He was made to apologize.
He was made to apologize.
Его заставили извиниться.
Passive with "make" requires the to-infinitive.
The children were allowed to play outside.
Детям разрешили играть на улице.
Passive with "allow" uses the to-infinitive.
She was let go from her job.
Её уволили с работы.
Fixed expression "be let go" means to be fired.
The students were made to wait outside.
Учеников заставили ждать снаружи.
Passive of "make" is often used in formal contexts.
Some causative constructions are more formal than others.
Get is generally less formal than have, while force and require are common in formal writing.
I had the documents sent to you.
Я отправил вам документы (организовал отправку).
"Have something done" is neutral to formal.
I got the documents sent to you.
Я отправил вам документы (более разговорно).
"Get something done" is more informal.
The company forced him to resign.
Компания вынудила его уйти в отставку.
"Force" is common in formal writing.
We require all visitors to sign in.
Мы требуем, чтобы все посетители регистрировались.
"Require" is formal and often used in rules.
English contains many fixed expressions with causative meaning.
Examples include make yourself at home, get something over with and have someone over.
Make yourself at home.
Чувствуйте себя как дома.
Idiom: "make yourself at home" means relax.
Let’s get this over with.
Давай покончим с этим.
Idiom: "get something over with" = finish something unpleasant.
We’re having some friends over tonight.
Сегодня вечером у нас будут друзья.
"Have someone over" = invite to your home.
Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
Не выдавай секрет.
Idiom: "let the cat out of the bag" = reveal a secret.
She made a fool of herself.
Она выставила себя дурочкой.
"Make a fool of someone" is a fixed causative expression.
Languages differ greatly in how they express causation.
Learners should avoid translating causative constructions directly from their native language.
I had my hair cut.
Мне подстригли волосы.
In many languages this idea is expressed differently; avoid literal translation.
She made me laugh.
Она заставила меня смеяться.
Some languages use a different construction for causation; note the bare infinitive after "make".
He got his car fixed.
Он починил машину (с помощью кого-то).
The meaning of "get something done" may not exist in the learner’s language.
We had the documents translated.
Мы перевели документы (заказали перевод).
Causative passive is common in English but not in all languages.
Use the complement required by each causative verb.
Common mistakes include using to after make, omitting to after get, confusing let and allow, and using have something done incorrectly.
She made me to do it.
Она заставила меня сделать это.
Incorrect: "make" is followed by the bare infinitive, not "to".
I got him agree to the plan.
Я убедил его согласиться с планом.
Incorrect: "get" requires the to-infinitive (got him to agree).
They let us to go early.
Они разрешили нам уйти рано.
Incorrect: "let" is followed by the bare infinitive, not "to".
I had my car repair.
Мне отремонтировали машину.
Incorrect: use past participle after "have" + object (had my car repaired).
She allowed me go home.
Она разрешила мне пойти домой.
Incorrect: "allow" requires the to-infinitive (allowed me to go).