THE LOGIC OF…
CAUSATIVE CLAUSES
Understand it. Use it. Remember it.
NeuroEnglish for You! · 25 interactive missions
The Logic of
Causative Clauses
Delegation is a skill. Learn to express when you have something done, have someone do or get someone to do something.
Three central ideas: the result, the person, and the intention behind the action.
“I don’t cut my own hair.”
I HAVE MY HAIR CUT
Me corto el pelo: otra persona me lo corta.
Understand the pattern. Practise with purpose.
The Passive Causative
HAVE + OBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE
Focus on the result, not the person who does it.
HAVE + objeto + participio: otra persona realiza la acción. Puede ser un servicio o una experiencia.
HAVE + OBJ + DONE
"I have my car washed every Sunday."
Me lavan el coche cada domingo.
HAVE + OBJ + DONE
"She had her house painted last month."
Le pintaron la casa el mes pasado.
HAVE + OBJ + DONE
"We are having the roof repaired."
Nos están arreglando el tejado.
HAVE + OBJ + DONE
"I will have my vision tested."
Me graduaré la vista.
The Active Causative
HAVE + PERSON + BARE INFINITIVE
Assign a responsibility to a specific person.
HAVE + persona + infinitivo sin TO: encargar a alguien una tarea.
HAVE + PER + DO
"I had the mechanic check the engine."
Hice que el mecánico revisara el motor.
HAVE + PER + DO
"The boss had his assistant type the report."
El jefe hizo que su asistente escribiera el informe.
HAVE + PER + DO
"I will have my lawyer call you."
Haré que mi abogado te llame.
HAVE + PER + DO
"Please have the waiter bring water."
Haz que el camarero traiga agua.
The Persuasion Logic
GET + PERSON + TO + INFINITIVE
Get someone to act — or get something to work.
GET + persona o cosa + TO + infinitivo: conseguir que alguien actúe o que algo funcione.
GET + PER + TO DO
"I got my friend to help me move."
Convencí a mi amigo para que me ayudara.
GET + PER + TO DO
"She got her kids to eat vegetables."
Consiguió que sus hijos comieran verdura.
GET + PER + TO DO
"How did you get him to agree?"
¿Cómo conseguiste que aceptara?
GET + PER + TO DO
"I finally got it to work."
Conseguí que el ordenador funcionara.
CAUSATIVE VAULT · Logical Dictionary
Force, permission and help
MAKE + person + bare infinitive: They made us wait.
Passive MAKE + TO: We were made to wait.
LET + person + bare infinitive: They let us leave.
ALLOW / FORCE + person + TO: They allowed us to leave. They forced us to wait.
HELP + person + (TO) infinitive: She helped me carry it. She helped me to carry it. Both are correct.
A service — or something you did not want?
I had my phone repaired: I arranged a repair.
I had my phone stolen: I experienced a theft; I did not arrange it.
HAVE + objeto + participio no significa siempre pagar por un servicio. El contexto determina el sentido.
Advanced patterns and important differences
I want / need the report finished by Friday: desired result or necessity.
The joke had everyone laughing: it caused an ongoing reaction. HAVE + object + -ING needs an appropriate context; it is not interchangeable with every causative pattern.
Have someone do something and make someone do something can both be grammatically correct in the same gap, but mean arranging versus forcing.
A 30-second memory check
Cover the examples. Complete aloud: have my car ___; have the mechanic ___; get the mechanic ___.
Check your recall
Have my car repaired. Have the mechanic repair it. Get the mechanic to repair it.
The Puppet Master Challenge
No countdown. Read at your own pace. Answer first, then study the explanation. Optional breaks every 10 questions.
Explanation / Explicación
Pause with Manuel
Look away from the screen, relax your shoulders, then continue when you are ready.
QUEST COMPLETE!
Study report · The Logic of Causative Clauses
Your memory plan
Notice the pattern. Retrieve the answer. Read the feedback. Say the corrected sentence. Create your own example. Revisit tomorrow, then after three and seven days.
XP and stars reward practice within this game. They are practice rewards, not an exam or level certificate. Questions can accept more than one answer where the sentence permits it.
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Keep exploring The Logic of…
The Logic of Passive VoiceThe Logic of Verb PatternsThe Logic of Modal VerbsBrowse the current collection© 2026 Manuel Molina Porlán. All rights reserved. Part of the NEUROEDUCATION Educational Publishing Project. Original articles, educational materials, activities, illustrations and multimedia content are protected by intellectual property legislation.
GO ON LEARNING!
Choose your next lesson. Understand another pattern and put it into practice.
The Logic of Passive VoiceThe Logic of Verb PatternsThe Logic of Modal Verbs
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