Causative Verbs: Have, Let, Make

What's the difference in meaning between these sentence? Pay particular attention to the bold verbs:

She's going to clean her room.

She's going to have her room cleaned.

I let her clean her room.

I made her clean her room.

Have, Let and Make

These three words are causative verbs. They show us that some person or thing helps to make something happen; they express what causes an action to happen.

Have

Compare these two sentences:

I am going to cut my hair.

I am going to have my hair cut.

I am going to cut my hair means, I will do it myself.

I am going to have my hair cut means, someone will do it for me. We would assume the speaker was doing to a hairdresser's.

Get can also have the same meaning e.g. I am going to get my hair cut.

When we use have we are saying someone will do something for us; we give someone the responsibility.

Let

Compare these two sentences:

I rode Simon's bike.

Simon let me ride his bike.

The difference between these sentences is that let shows there is permission; we have been allowed.

Make

Compare these two sentences:

I wore a skirt.

She made me wear a skirt.

When we make someone do something, we force them to do it; they have no choice. We make people do things they don't want to do.

Now choose the correct verb in each sentence:

• 1) I really should ___ my teeth checked.
  
  had
  have
  has
  
  
• 2) My dad never ___ me drive his car.
  
  let
  lets
  
  
• 3) My teacher ___ me stay late after school. I didn't want to.
  
  make
  makes
  made
  
  
• 4) Do you know where I can ___ my suit dry cleaned?
  
  have
  let
  make
  
  
• 5) Has your girlfriend ever ___ you do her homework?
  
  made
  make
  makes
  
  
• 6) We ___ our daughter stay up late on the weekend.
  
  let
  lets
  
  
• 7) Have you ever ___ a pizza delivered from that restaurant?
  
  has
  have
  had
  
  
• 8) My parents ___ me wash the dishes every day.
  
  make
  makes