The passive causative: easier than it seems
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:03 am
Do you already have the passive voice down pat? If not, you might want to brush up on it a bit before moving on, because did you know that the passive can also be used in causative sentences? The causative , in case you don't remember, is the form we use when we want to express that we have asked or commissioned someone to do something for us. If you've already got these two points down pat, let's move on to the next level: combining them.
Free Download: The Passive and Causative Voice in English
What is it?
The « passive causative » is nothing more than the use of uae phone number list verbs in passive form. They are two complex grammatical structures, but don't let that scare you. If you know how to use them separately, combining them is very simple.
If the passive changes the focus from the subject to the object and the causative indicates that someone asks or orders someone to do something, the combination of both is, in essence, that someone orders something to be done. But this is best seen with an example:
Passive : the car was fixed by the mechanic.
Causative : he had the mechanic fix his car.
Causative passive : he had his car fixed by the mechanic.
Although this structure is entirely artificial in Spanish, it is relatively common in formal English, albeit with certain changes.
How is the "passive causative" formed?
In the examples above, the final effect of the sentences is very convoluted and does not sound natural except in certain contexts. This is because in the passive we do not usually indicate who performs the action, since we normally use it precisely to hide this information. Let's see, then, how to form this structure in a more natural way.
Free Download: The Passive and Causative Voice in English
What is it?
The « passive causative » is nothing more than the use of uae phone number list verbs in passive form. They are two complex grammatical structures, but don't let that scare you. If you know how to use them separately, combining them is very simple.
If the passive changes the focus from the subject to the object and the causative indicates that someone asks or orders someone to do something, the combination of both is, in essence, that someone orders something to be done. But this is best seen with an example:
Passive : the car was fixed by the mechanic.
Causative : he had the mechanic fix his car.
Causative passive : he had his car fixed by the mechanic.
Although this structure is entirely artificial in Spanish, it is relatively common in formal English, albeit with certain changes.
How is the "passive causative" formed?
In the examples above, the final effect of the sentences is very convoluted and does not sound natural except in certain contexts. This is because in the passive we do not usually indicate who performs the action, since we normally use it precisely to hide this information. Let's see, then, how to form this structure in a more natural way.