Make, Have or Get How to Use Causative Verbs in English

Q. What have you had someone do for you recently?

A. We both traveled my partner and I both traveled to different places last week and so we had our friend Jenna take our dog and then we had her drop him off at Camp Bow Wow at doggy day care after that. 

 

When you say we had our friend do this really what you are saying is you asked her to do that. 

 

Q. Would it have felt different or would you have answered differently if I said what have you made someone do for you lately? Or what have you gotten someone to do for you?

A. They're both completely differently. Made someone would be like I forced her to do that and gotten her to do it feels a little bit like I manipulated her. 

 

Let's dive into number one here with "make."

If we say "I made my parents send me some stuff" or if you say "I made my friend watch my dog" this implies you force them or required it of them against their will. 

This also implies obviously like a use of power some kind of power.

ex) I made my kids do the laundry.

If you're the parent, you know, you are disciplining your kids, you're trying to show them how to take care of themselves, you make them do the laundry. 

ex) The coach made her players run laps. 

 

With teachers, coaches, parents often will use the verb this way "to make them do something" because like you said you're coming from a position of power or requiring it of someone they might not like it they have to do it anyway. 

 

Let's go into a very different causative verb which is "have".

ex) I had my parents send me stuff. 

This means you asked them to do it. There's no undercurrent of forcing someone or requiring them to do something they don't want to do. This just means I asked them to do it.

If there's a certain amount of willingness, this would be totally appropriate that someone had you do something.

 

 "Get"

ex) I got my parents to send me stuff. 

There would be an implication of some manipulation. It implies they were convinced or maybe tricked. They were unwilling and somehow you got them to do it.

ex) They got their parents to allow them to stay out late. 

They planned for this. They figured it out. 

 

 

 

A: I had my mom send me her recipe so we can use that.

B: Oh perfect! I tried to get my mom to send me hers, but she didn't answer. 

A: My mom doesn't usually answer her phone either but my dad was with her and he made her answer.

 

cf) get // I tried to get my mom to send me hers, but she didn't answer. 

I think we would more often use "get" when we weren't successful. That implies like it just didn't work.

Essentially you could say "I tried to have my mom send me hers." But that doesn't feel quite right. 

When we are not successful in our efforts we would use "get."

ex) I tried to get my neighbor to share her cake recipe but she wouldn't do it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPl4eXB2mU 

 

 

+ 추가적인 설명들 

Causative verb MAKE
Meaning: force or require someone to do something.
Structure: Make + person + verb
ex) They make students exercise regularly.
ex) His parents tried to make him be a better person.

ex) The teacher made the students clean the classroom." (Here, it means the teacher forced the students to clean the classroom.)

 

Causative verb HAVE
Meaning: give someone the responsibility to do something.
Structure: Have + person + verb
ex) We had a painter paint our apartment.
ex) Sheila had a hairdresser do her hair.
ex) Paul had a mechanic fix his car.

ex) "I had the mechanic check my car." (Here, it means you arranged for the mechanic to check your car.)

 

Causative verb GET
Meaning: convince/persuade someone to do something.
Structure: Get + person + to + verb
ex) Jane got her son to help her with the dishes.
ex) She got her boyfriend to buy her an expensive ring.
ex) I got my neighbour to help me carry my suitcase.

ex) I got my brother to fix my car. (Here, it means you persuaded or convinced your brother to fix your car.)