Mr. K's Grammar World: The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part IV

As children grow up, they begin to experiment with more and more complex language structures. My four-year-old son’s language development is a great example of the scientific method. He hears new language and forms his own hypotheses. Then he tests these hypotheses by using this new language and finally judges the results by the reactions he gets from the adults around him and modifies his hypotheses when things don't seem right. This process is very logical and research has found a standard order that is more or less followed by all native-speaker children. There’s a reason why Skyler doesn’t use the past perfect. He doesn’t need it yet and won’t for many years.

Similarly, ESL students need to adopt this same approach. There are certain advanced structures that they just don’t need at a basic or intermediate level. Be patient and be satisfied with what you can do rather than worrying about what you can’t do in English.

The following is an explanation of an advanced structure with causative verbs. If you are ready for it and can learn to use it, your English will make a big leap very quickly. If you don’t get it right away, don’t lose any sleep. You will be ready someday.

SVOC Clauses with Make

This structure begins with a basic SVOC clause with the causative verb make.

Remember that a complement is a word that describes another word within the clause. The most common clauses with complements are SVC clauses.

I am sleepy.
I feel sleepy.
I’m getting sleepy.

In all of these sentences, the adjective sleepy is the complement. The complement sleepy describes the feeling of the subject, I. Complements are connected to a clause by a relatively small group of verbs called linking verbs. In the above sentences, am (the “be” verb), feel and get are examples of linking verbs.

A more advance clause with complements is the SVOC clause.

Warm milk makes me sleepy.

In this example, the complement sleepy is describing the feeling of the direct object me. The warm milk is what causes this feeling.

Unlike most causative patterns, the bare infinitive (be or feel) is understood but doesn’t need to be written or said. Very often, the adjective complement in this pattern is in the comparative form (w/ ~er or more).

Lifting weights will make you stronger.
Using English regularly will make you more confident.

The comparative form is used to show that something is increasing. I am already strong, but I want to get stronger. The speaker already has some confidence, but they need more.

Causative Verbs from Adjectives

Students will often spend lots of time, especially in vocabulary classes, studying prefixes and suffixes. Prefixes are added at the beginning of words to change or add meaning to the original word. For example, the prefix un~ means not. If something is so amazing it is not believable, you can also say it is unbelievable. The prefix re~ means again. If you made a mistake when you did something the first time, you might have to redo it.

Suffixes, on the other hand, are added to the ends of words and are used to change parts of speech. For example, the suffix ~able means something can be done.

Even though there is a hole in the sleeve, I can still wear this shirt.
Even though there is a hole in the sleeve, the shirt is still wearable.

Both of these sentences mean the same thing, but by adding ~able to the verb wear, the verb becomes and adjective.

Similarly, adjectives can be turned into causative verbs. This change begins with simple SVOC clauses. For example:

I need to make my lunch hot.
I need to heat up my lunch.

I want to make the room cooler.
I want to cool down the room.

In the first examples, a microwave will do the trick. In the second, I need a fan or an air-conditioner. In both of these examples, the advective hot and cool already have causative verb equivalents: heat and cool. (Sometimes you get lucky and both forms are the same.)

In other cases, you have to “make” your own verbs with suffixes. For example:

The construction workers are making the road wider.
The construction workers are widening the road.

Illustrations in books can make explanations clearer.
Illustrations in books can clarify explanations.

You can use your computer to make digital copies of music.
You can use your computer to digitize your music.

These three pairs of examples show the most common suffixes that can be used to make causative verbs from adjectives. Other examples include:

~en -- weaken / strengthen* / worsen
~ify -- beautify / purify / unify
~ize -- modernize / maximize / publicize

(Click here for a more extensive list of causative verbs from adjectives and exercises to help you learn them. If you can think of any that should be added to this list, please email me.)

How to Practice

Like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. To learn to use these causative verbs, I recommend a three-step process. Start by making a simple SVOC clause with the verb make.

Planting flowers will make your garden more beautiful.

Next, change the adjective to its causative verb form. In this example, beautiful becomes beautify. Then, simply replace the verb make with the new verb.

Planting flowers will beautify your garden.

Finally, change this new sentence to the passive voice following the basic rules.

Your garden will be beautified by planting flowers.

Here is another example:

This toothpaste will make your teeth whiter.
This toothpaste will whiten your teeth.
Your teeth will be whitened with this toothpaste.

Twenty-five years of teaching have taught me two things. First, most students are very confused by this at first. Second, if they spend time practicing this three-step transformation exercise, they figure it out fairly quickly. To help you on your way, here are some online exercises.

In the immortal words of Porky Pig: B-dee-b-dee-b-dee-b-dee-b-That’s all folks!

Good luck and happy trails.

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(I really appreciate questions, comments and suggestions. Feel free to post them in the Comments section below. However, I don't often see them right away. Instead, you can use the Questions and Comments link below or join my Facebook group Mr. K's Grammar World.)

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Monday, September 2, 2013

The Devil Made Me Do It: Causative Verbs (Part IV - Adjectives and Verbs)

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