Grammar 61 - Getting Something Done

The base form of the verb GOT is GET and GET is a causative verb. Other causative verbs include HAVE, MAKE, and LET. Here are some example sentences using the respective causative verbs:

‘I must HAVE my investments evaluated by a financial advisor.’
‘We have had our dresses MADE by a Milan designer.’
‘The usher LET me sit on the front row.’

There are different situations when these four verbs are used. When we want to force or influence somebody to do something, we use ‘make’ and ‘get.’ For example, a flight attendant forces you to put on the seat belt or a mother coaxes her child to complete their homework. When we want to have something done by somebody who is a natural fit, we use ‘have.’ For example, we use ‘have’ when we describe a doctor, whose job is to advise on health issues or an accountant, who advises on financial health. When we want somebody to do something, we may give permission and here we use ‘let.’ For instance, parents might allow their teenage daughter to go out on a date or an employer may give permission to an employee to take the day off work.

When we use causative verbs, we can use them in both active and passive voices, and the rules are just the same as we studied earlier. The language of getting something done has its own charm and you can see it when you take the quiz that follows.