What is the causative form in English?

The causative form is used when someone arranges for another person to do something, rather than doing it themselves. The most common structures are 'have something done' and 'get something done', both of which follow the pattern: causative verb + object + past participle. For example: I had my teeth checked means a dentist checked my teeth — I didn't check them myself.

What is the difference between 'have something done' and 'get something done'?

Both express the idea that someone else performs an action for you, but there are subtle differences. 'Have something done' is more neutral and formal: I had my suit dry-cleaned. 'Get something done' is more informal and can suggest that arranging the action required more effort or persistence: I finally got my suit dry-cleaned. In most everyday contexts they are interchangeable.

What is the difference between 'make' and 'let' as causative verbs?

'Make' expresses that someone forces or causes another person to do something: My boss made me work overtime. 'Let' expresses that someone gives permission for another person to do something: My boss let me leave early. Both are followed by an object and a bare infinitive (without 'to').

Is 'have something done' the same as the present perfect?

The forms can look similar but they have different meanings. 'I have fixed my car' means I fixed it myself (present perfect of 'fix'). 'I have had my car fixed' means someone else fixed it for me (causative in the present perfect). The key difference is the object between 'have' and the past participle — if there's an object there, it's the causative structure.

Is the causative form tested in English proficiency exams?

Yes — the causative form is a popular target in Cambridge B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) sentence transformation tasks, where learners are required to rewrite a sentence using a causative structure. It also appears in gap fill and multiple choice tasks. Being able to accurately use have/get + object + past participle across a range of tenses is an important B2-C1 skill.

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Causative Form Exercises in English (All Levels)

Welcome to our complete collection of causative form exercises for ESL learners. The causative is used when someone arranges for another person to do something for them — or when someone causes something to happen. It's a key structure for intermediate and advanced learners, and it appears frequently in Cambridge exam tasks. You'll find free, interactive exercises covering have something done, get something done, make, let, and more — with a full grammar review.

All exercises are free and interactive, with instant answer checking. Levels range from B1 (Intermediate) to C1 (Advanced).

Quick Grammar Review: The Causative Form in English

What is the causative form?

The causative form is used when the subject of the sentence does not perform the action themselves — instead, they arrange for someone else to do it. The two most common causative structures are have something done and get something done.

I cut my hair. (I did it myself.) → I had my hair cut. (Someone cut it for me — e.g. at a hairdresser's.)

Have something done

Structure: have + object + past participle

This is the most common causative structure. The tense of have changes to show when the action took/takes place.

Tense	Structure	Example
Simple present	have + obj + pp	I have* my car serviced every year.*
Simple past	had + obj + pp	She had* her nails done yesterday.*
Present perfect	have had + obj + pp	I have had* my roof repaired.*
Future (will)	will have + obj + pp	We will have* the carpets cleaned next week.*
Going to	going to have + obj + pp	I'm going to have* my photo taken.*

Get something done

Structure: get + object + past participle

Get something done is similar in meaning to have something done but is more informal and often implies more effort or difficulty in arranging the action.

I need to get my passport renewed. | She finally got her bike fixed.

Make and let

Make and let are also causative verbs, but they work differently — they are followed by an object + bare infinitive (no to).

Verb	Meaning	Structure	Example
make	Force or cause someone to do something	make + object + bare infinitive	The teacher made* the students rewrite their essays.*
let	Allow someone to do something	let + object + bare infinitive	Her parents let* her stay out until midnight.*

Note: In the passive, make is followed by the full infinitive (with to): She was made to rewrite her essay.

Have someone do something

There is a related structure: have + person + bare infinitive. This is used when you want to say you instructed or arranged for a specific person to do something.

I'll have my assistant call you. | She had the mechanic check the brakes.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using the wrong verb form after "have/get": ✗ I had my car repair. → ✓ I had my car repaired. (Always use the past participle.)
Using "to" after "make" or "let": ✗ She made me to stay. → ✓ She made me stay.
Confusing "have something done" (causative) with the present perfect: I have had my car fixed can mean either "I've arranged for it to be fixed" (causative present perfect) or simply "I've fixed it" — context usually makes the meaning clear.
Forgetting the object: ✗ I had cut at the hairdresser's. → ✓ I had my hair cut at the hairdresser's.

🟢 Not sure where to start?
Start with Causative Form 1 to get comfortable with the core have/get + object + past participle structure. Exercises 2 and 3 introduce make and let and more varied tense contexts. Exercises 4-7 provide extended mixed practice — ideal for exam preparation at B2/C1 level.

All Causative Form Exercises — Free & Interactive

(B) = Beginner (A1/A2) | (I) = Intermediate (B1/B2) | (A) = Advanced (C1/C2)

Causative Form: Passive (have / get something done)

Causative form (passive) 1 B/I — Introduction to the passive causative using have/get + object + past participle. Practise arranging for someone else to do something — repairs, appointments, services, and more.
Causative form (passive) 2 B/I — More practice with have something done and get something done across a range of everyday contexts and tenses.

Causative Form: Active (make / let / have someone do something)

Causative form (active) 1 B/I — Practise the active causative with make, let, and have + person + bare infinitive. Focuses on the distinction between causing and permitting.
Causative form (active) 2 B/I — Further active causative practice. Consolidates make vs let and extends to a wider range of real-life situations.

Causative Form: Mixed Practice

Causative form (mixed) 1 I — Mixed causative practice combining passive and active structures. Covers have/get something done alongside make and let across different tenses.
Causative form (mixed) 2 A — Advanced-level mixed causative exercise. Targets C1/C2 learners and includes complex tense combinations. Ideal for Cambridge Advanced (CAE) or Proficiency (CPE) preparation.
Causative form (mixed) 3 I — Additional intermediate mixed practice. A useful consolidation exercise bringing together all the main causative structures in varied sentence contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Causative Form

What is the causative form in English?: The causative form is used when someone arranges for another person to do something, rather than doing it themselves. The most common structures are have something done and get something done, both of which follow the pattern: causative verb + object + past participle. For example: I had my teeth checked means a dentist checked my teeth — I didn't check them myself.
What is the difference between "have something done" and "get something done"?: Both express the idea that someone else performs an action for you, but there are subtle differences. Have something done is more neutral and formal: I had my suit dry-cleaned. Get something done is more informal and can suggest that arranging the action required more effort or persistence: I finally got my suit dry-cleaned. In most everyday contexts they are interchangeable, but have something done is preferred in formal writing.
What is the difference between "make" and "let" as causative verbs?: Make expresses that someone forces or causes another person to do something — the element of compulsion is present: My boss made me work overtime. Let expresses that someone gives permission for another person to do something — the element of allowing is present: My boss let me leave early. Both are followed by an object and a bare infinitive (without to).
Is "have something done" the same as the present perfect?: The forms can look similar but they have different meanings. I have fixed my car = I fixed it myself (present perfect of fix). I have had my car fixed = someone else fixed it for me (causative in the present perfect). The key difference is the object between have and the past participle — if there's an object there, it's the causative structure.
Is the causative form tested in English proficiency exams?: Yes — the causative form is a popular target in Cambridge B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) sentence transformation tasks, where learners are required to rewrite a sentence using a causative structure. It also appears in gap fill and multiple choice tasks. Being able to accurately use have/get + object + past participle across a range of tenses is an important B2-C1 skill.