causative verbs exercises
Causative Form
The causative form is used when we do not do something
ourselves, but we arrange for somebody else to do it for us.
We painted the house last month. (We did it ourselves.)
We had/got the house painted last month. (A painter did it.)
The causative form is formed as follows:
subject + have/get + object + past participle
• The interrogative and negative forms of the Present
Simple and the Past Simple are formed with the
auxiliaries do/does and did.
How often do you have your hair cut?
Sue didn’t have her hair cut yesterday.
• In informal language we can use get instead of have.
I must get the washing machine repaired.
• If we want to mention who performs the action, we can
add by + agent at the end of the sentence.
She always has her hair dyed by a hairdresser.
• have someone do something = make someone do
something
get someone to do something = persuade someone to
do something
NOTE Present Simple I
have my car fixed.
Present Progressive I’m having my car fixed.
Past Simple I had my car fixed.
Past Progressive I was having my car fixed.
Future will I’ll have my car fixed.
Present Perfect Simple I’ve had my car fixed.
Past Perfect Simple I had had my car fixed.
Modal Verbs I must have my car fixed.
• In the Unreal Past we usually use were instead of was. NOTE
if-clause Main clause
If + Past Perfect
would/could/might + have +
past participle
• Verbs such as know, believe, say, think, etc. are often
followed by a that clause in the Active Voice and can be
used to make general statements.
People believe that he is very rich.
The Passive Voice can be formed in two ways:
• It + passive form of verb + that clause
It is believed that he is very rich.
• subject + passive form of verb + full infinitive
He is believed to be very rich.
• When a verb (give, offer, send, etc.) takes two objects
in the Active Voice, there are two ways of forming the
Passive Voice.
Active Voice: They gave William a present.
Passive Voice: William was given a present.
A present was given to William.
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TIME EXPRESSIONS
ago, yesterday, in 1998, last week/month/night, etc.
I was working He was sleeping
Were you working? Was she sleeping?
They weren’t working It wasn’t sleeping
Past Progressive
The Past Progressive is used:
• to describe an action in progress at a certain time in the past.
‘What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?’
‘I was having a shower.’
• to describe actions that were happening at the same time
in the past (usually with while or as).
While Lynn was cooking, John was sleeping.
• to describe background scenes to a story.
There were a lot of people at the station. Some were talking
on their mobiles, others were sleeping and a few were
walking up and down.
• to describe temporary past states or actions.
My grandfather was writing a play in those days.
• to describe repetitive or annoying actions (with the
adverbs of frequency always, continually, etc.)
My brother was always taking my toys when we were young.
Past Simple - Past Progressive
Time Clauses (when, while, as, as soon as)
NOTE Irregular verbs on page 142.
NOTE
• We use the Past Progressive and the Past Simple in the
same sentence when one action interrupted another
in the past. We use the Past Progressive for the longer
action and the Past Simple for the shorter action.
In this case we usually use while, when or as.
As/While/When they were walking in the forest, they saw a bear.
I was having a bath when the lights went out.
Past Perfect Simple
I had worked He had slept
Had you worked? Had she slept?
They hadn’t worked It hadn’t slept
The Past Perfect Simple is used:
• to describe an action which was completed before a
specific point of time in the past.
My mum had done the washing-up by midnight.
• to describe an action that was completed before another
action in the past. The second action is in the Past Simple.
The train had already left when we got to the station.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
already, ever, never, just, when, by the time, after, by,
before, etc.
NOTE Irregular verbs on page 142.
Past Perfect Progressive
I had been working He had been sleeping
Had you been working? Had she been sleeping?
They hadn’t been working It hadn’t been sleeping
The Past Perfect Progressive is used:
• to emphasise the duration of an action that took place
before another action in the past.
He had been living in London for 15 years when he moved
to Glasgow.
• to refer to an action whose duration caused visible results
at a later point of time in the past.
They were tired because they had been cleaning the house all day.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
already, by the time, for, since, after, before, when, how
long, etc.
used to + base form
I used to work He used to sleep
Did you use to work? Did she use to sleep?
They didn’t use to work It didn’t use to sleep
used to + base form is used:
• to describe permanent past states.
I used to be overweight when I was younger.
• to describe past habits.
My father used to drive to work, but now he walks.
• to describe repeated actions in the past.
We used to go out every day, but we don’t any more.
I worked He slept
Did you work? Did she sleep?
They didn’t work It didn’t sleep
Past Simple
The Past Simple is used:
• to describe a completed action in the past (the time is
usually mentioned or implied).
I bought a laptop yesterday.
• to describe completed actions that happened one after
the other in the past.
I walked up to the till, paid and then left the shop.
• to describe past habits or repeated actions in the past
(often used with adverbs of frequency).
When I was younger, I often went jogging in the park.
We commonly use as soon as with the Past Simple.
As soon as we arrived on the island, we ran to the beach.
NOTE
140
would + base form
I would work He would sleep
Would you work? Would she sleep?
They wouldn’t work It wouldn’t sleep
would + base form is used:
• to describe past habits.
My grandmother would always wake up at 6 o’clock in
the morning.
• to describe typical behaviour in the past.
Every night, Linda would sit down on the sofa and drink
a hot cup of tea after dinner.
Past intentions
I was going to work He was going to sleep
Were you going to work? Was she going to sleep?
They weren’t going to work. It wasn’t going to sleep
was/were going to + base form
• was/were going to + base form is used to talk about
actions somebody intended to do in the past (but
probably didn’t).
I was going to visit my cousins over the weekend, but they
came to visit me instead.
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Causative Form
The causative form is used when we do not do something
ourselves, but we arrange for somebody else to do it for us.
We painted the house last month. (We did it ourselves.)
We had/got the house painted last month. (A painter did it.)
The causative form is formed as follows:
subject + have/get + object + past participle
• The interrogative and negative forms of the Present
Simple and the Past Simple are formed with the
auxiliaries do/does and did.
How often do you have your hair cut?
Sue didn’t have her hair cut yesterday.
• In informal language we can use get instead of have.
I must get the washing machine repaired.
• If we want to mention who performs the action, we can
add by + agent at the end of the sentence.
She always has her hair dyed by a hairdresser.
• have someone do something = make someone do
something
get someone to do something = persuade someone to
do something
NOTE Present Simple I
have my car fixed.
Present Progressive I’m having my car fixed.
Past Simple I had my car fixed.
Past Progressive I was having my car fixed.
Future will I’ll have my car fixed.
Present Perfect Simple I’ve had my car fixed.
Past Perfect Simple I had had my car fixed.
Modal Verbs I must have my car fixed.
• In the Unreal Past we usually use were instead of was. NOTE
if-clause Main clause
If + Past Perfect
would/could/might + have +
past participle
• Verbs such as know, believe, say, think, etc. are often
followed by a that clause in the Active Voice and can be
used to make general statements.
People believe that he is very rich.
The Passive Voice can be formed in two ways:
• It + passive form of verb + that clause
It is believed that he is very rich.
• subject + passive form of verb + full infinitive
He is believed to be very rich.
• When a verb (give, offer, send, etc.) takes two objects
in the Active Voice, there are two ways of forming the
Passive Voice.
Active Voice: They gave William a present.
Passive Voice: William was given a present.
A present was given to William.
139
TIME EXPRESSIONS
ago, yesterday, in 1998, last week/month/night, etc.
I was working He was sleeping
Were you working? Was she sleeping?
They weren’t working It wasn’t sleeping
Past Progressive
The Past Progressive is used:
• to describe an action in progress at a certain time in the past.
‘What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?’
‘I was having a shower.’
• to describe actions that were happening at the same time
in the past (usually with while or as).
While Lynn was cooking, John was sleeping.
• to describe background scenes to a story.
There were a lot of people at the station. Some were talking
on their mobiles, others were sleeping and a few were
walking up and down.
• to describe temporary past states or actions.
My grandfather was writing a play in those days.
• to describe repetitive or annoying actions (with the
adverbs of frequency always, continually, etc.)
My brother was always taking my toys when we were young.
Past Simple - Past Progressive
Time Clauses (when, while, as, as soon as)
NOTE Irregular verbs on page 142.
NOTE
• We use the Past Progressive and the Past Simple in the
same sentence when one action interrupted another
in the past. We use the Past Progressive for the longer
action and the Past Simple for the shorter action.
In this case we usually use while, when or as.
As/While/When they were walking in the forest, they saw a bear.
I was having a bath when the lights went out.
Past Perfect Simple
I had worked He had slept
Had you worked? Had she slept?
They hadn’t worked It hadn’t slept
The Past Perfect Simple is used:
• to describe an action which was completed before a
specific point of time in the past.
My mum had done the washing-up by midnight.
• to describe an action that was completed before another
action in the past. The second action is in the Past Simple.
The train had already left when we got to the station.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
already, ever, never, just, when, by the time, after, by,
before, etc.
NOTE Irregular verbs on page 142.
Past Perfect Progressive
I had been working He had been sleeping
Had you been working? Had she been sleeping?
They hadn’t been working It hadn’t been sleeping
The Past Perfect Progressive is used:
• to emphasise the duration of an action that took place
before another action in the past.
He had been living in London for 15 years when he moved
to Glasgow.
• to refer to an action whose duration caused visible results
at a later point of time in the past.
They were tired because they had been cleaning the house all day.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
already, by the time, for, since, after, before, when, how
long, etc.
used to + base form
I used to work He used to sleep
Did you use to work? Did she use to sleep?
They didn’t use to work It didn’t use to sleep
used to + base form is used:
• to describe permanent past states.
I used to be overweight when I was younger.
• to describe past habits.
My father used to drive to work, but now he walks.
• to describe repeated actions in the past.
We used to go out every day, but we don’t any more.
I worked He slept
Did you work? Did she sleep?
They didn’t work It didn’t sleep
Past Simple
The Past Simple is used:
• to describe a completed action in the past (the time is
usually mentioned or implied).
I bought a laptop yesterday.
• to describe completed actions that happened one after
the other in the past.
I walked up to the till, paid and then left the shop.
• to describe past habits or repeated actions in the past
(often used with adverbs of frequency).
When I was younger, I often went jogging in the park.
We commonly use as soon as with the Past Simple.
As soon as we arrived on the island, we ran to the beach.
NOTE
140
would + base form
I would work He would sleep
Would you work? Would she sleep?
They wouldn’t work It wouldn’t sleep
would + base form is used:
• to describe past habits.
My grandmother would always wake up at 6 o’clock in
the morning.
• to describe typical behaviour in the past.
Every night, Linda would sit down on the sofa and drink
a hot cup of tea after dinner.
Past intentions
I was going to work He was going to sleep
Were you going to work? Was she going to sleep?
They weren’t going to work. It wasn’t going to sleep
was/were going to + base form
• was/were going to + base form is used to talk about
actions somebody intended to do in the past (but
probably didn’t).
I was going to visit my cousins over the weekend, but they
came to visit me instead.
141
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