Causative Verbs 1

English has several verbs with special functions: let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs because they 'cause' something to happen. This week we’ll explore the use of each of these causative verbs. Today, we focus on let.

Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English sentences.

How to use causative verbs in English

LET = permit something to happen

Grammatical structure:

• LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• Let Billy take a turn.
• I only let my kids watch TV fro two hours.
• Mary’s mother won’t let her adopt a kitten because she’s allergic to cat fur.
• Our manager doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to go to the canteen.
• Sally wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and let the food burn.
• We must not let our credit card debt expenses go higher than $1000.

Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!

Note: You can use the verbs allow and permit as more formal ways to say “let.” However, with allow and permit, you have to use use to + verb:

• I only allow my kids to watch TV fro two hours.
• Our manager doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks; we have go to the canteen.

The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs because they cause something else to happen.
Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English sentences.

How to use causative verbs in English

LET = permit something to happen

Grammatical structure:

• LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.
• Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs.
• Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the cafeteria.
• Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn.
• Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000.

Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!
Note: The verbs allow and permit are more formal ways to say “let.” However, with allow and permit, we use to + verb:

• I don’t allow my kids to watch violent movies.
• Our boss doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks.

MAKE = force or require someone to take an action

Grammatical structure:

• MAKE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• After Billy broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay for it.
• My ex-boyfriend loved sci-fi and made me watch every episode of his favorite show.
• The teacher made all the students rewrite their papers, because the first drafts were not acceptable.

Note: When using the verbs force and require, we must use to + verb.

• The school requires the students to wear uniforms.
  “Require” often implies that there is a rule.
• The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a different direction.
  “Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely strong pressure

HAVE = give someone else the responsibility to do something

Grammatical structure:

• HAVE + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HAVE + THING + PAST PARTICIPLE OF VERB

Examples of grammatical structure #1:

• I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.
• The businessman had his secretary make copies of the report.

Examples of grammatical structure #2:

• I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow.
• We’re having our house painted this weekend.
• Bob had his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
• My washing machine is broken; I need to have it repaired.

Note: In informal speech, we often use get in these cases:

• I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow.
• We’re getting our house painted this weekend.
• Bob got his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
• My washing machine is broken; I need to get it repaired.

GET = convince/encourage someone to do something

Grammatical structure:

• GET + PERSON + TO + VERB

Examples:

• How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?
• My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
• I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to try it at a Japanese restaurant.
• The non-profit got a professional photographer to take photos at the event for free.

HELP = assist someone in doing something

Grammatical structure:

• HELP + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB

After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the form without “to” is more common:

• He helped me carry the boxes.
• He helped me to carry the boxes.
• Reading before bed helps me relax.
• Reading before bed helps me to relax.

- See more at: http://www.espressoenglish.net/causative-verbs-in-english-let-make-have-get-help/#sthash.jttwNXMC.dpuf

The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs because they cause something else to happen.
Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English sentences.

How to use causative verbs in English

LET = permit something to happen

Grammatical structure:

• LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.
• Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs.
• Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the cafeteria.
• Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn.
• Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000.

Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!
Note: The verbs allow and permit are more formal ways to say “let.” However, with allow and permit, we use to + verb:

• I don’t allow my kids to watch violent movies.
• Our boss doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks.

MAKE = force or require someone to take an action

Grammatical structure:

• MAKE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• After Billy broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay for it.
• My ex-boyfriend loved sci-fi and made me watch every episode of his favorite show.
• The teacher made all the students rewrite their papers, because the first drafts were not acceptable.

Note: When using the verbs force and require, we must use to + verb.

• The school requires the students to wear uniforms.
  “Require” often implies that there is a rule.
• The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a different direction.
  “Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely strong pressure

HAVE = give someone else the responsibility to do something

Grammatical structure:

• HAVE + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HAVE + THING + PAST PARTICIPLE OF VERB

Examples of grammatical structure #1:

• I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.
• The businessman had his secretary make copies of the report.

Examples of grammatical structure #2:

• I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow.
• We’re having our house painted this weekend.
• Bob had his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
• My washing machine is broken; I need to have it repaired.

Note: In informal speech, we often use get in these cases:

• I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow.
• We’re getting our house painted this weekend.
• Bob got his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
• My washing machine is broken; I need to get it repaired.

GET = convince/encourage someone to do something

Grammatical structure:

• GET + PERSON + TO + VERB

Examples:

• How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?
• My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
• I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to try it at a Japanese restaurant.
• The non-profit got a professional photographer to take photos at the event for free.

HELP = assist someone in doing something

Grammatical structure:

• HELP + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB

After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the form without “to” is more common:

• He helped me carry the boxes.
• He helped me to carry the boxes.
• Reading before bed helps me relax.
• Reading before bed helps me to relax.

- See more at: http://www.espressoenglish.net/causative-verbs-in-english-let-make-have-get-help/#sthash.jttwNXMC.dpuf

The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative verbs because they cause something else to happen.
Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English sentences.

How to use causative verbs in English

LET = permit something to happen

Grammatical structure:

• LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.
• Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs.
• Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the cafeteria.
• Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn.
• Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000.

Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!
Note: The verbs allow and permit are more formal ways to say “let.” However, with allow and permit, we use to + verb:

• I don’t allow my kids to watch violent movies.
• Our boss doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks.

MAKE = force or require someone to take an action

Grammatical structure:

• MAKE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

Examples:

• After Billy broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay for it.
• My ex-boyfriend loved sci-fi and made me watch every episode of his favorite show.
• The teacher made all the students rewrite their papers, because the first drafts were not acceptable.

Note: When using the verbs force and require, we must use to + verb.

• The school requires the students to wear uniforms.
  “Require” often implies that there is a rule.
• The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a different direction.
  “Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely strong pressure

HAVE = give someone else the responsibility to do something

Grammatical structure:

• HAVE + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HAVE + THING + PAST PARTICIPLE OF VERB

Examples of grammatical structure #1:

• I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.
• The businessman had his secretary make copies of the report.

Examples of grammatical structure #2:

• I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow.
• We’re having our house painted this weekend.
• Bob had his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
• My washing machine is broken; I need to have it repaired.

Note: In informal speech, we often use get in these cases:

• I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow.
• We’re getting our house painted this weekend.
• Bob got his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
• My washing machine is broken; I need to get it repaired.

GET = convince/encourage someone to do something

Grammatical structure:

• GET + PERSON + TO + VERB

Examples:

• How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?
• My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
• I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to try it at a Japanese restaurant.
• The non-profit got a professional photographer to take photos at the event for free.

HELP = assist someone in doing something

Grammatical structure:

• HELP + PERSON + VERB (base form)
• HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB

After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the form without “to” is more common:

• He helped me carry the boxes.
• He helped me to carry the boxes.
• Reading before bed helps me relax.
• Reading before bed helps me to relax.

- See more at: http://www.espressoenglish.net/causative-verbs-in-english-let-make-have-get-help/#sthash.jttwNXMC.dpuf

Gerunds

Like the word grammar itself, the grammatical term gerund is often mentioned with a shudder. If you already understand all about gerunds, this post is not for you. If you’d like to review the concept, read on.

A gerund is a verbal. If you’ve read previous posts about present and past participles, you know that a verbal is one of the principal parts of the verb that retains some verb functions at the same time it is being used as a different part of speech.

A gerund is an -ing verb form used as a noun.
Like a verb, a gerund can take objects and be modified by adverbs and adverbial phrases, but its function in a sentence is to serve as a noun–a noun that ends in -ing.

What do nouns do? Nouns are used as the following parts of a sentence:

1. Subject
2. Direct Object
3. Subject Complement
4. Object of a Preposition
Anything a noun can do, a gerund can do–because a gerund is a noun. A gerund is a noun that ends in -ing. Gerunds may be used alone or as part of a phrase.

1. Gerund as the subject of a sentence
Reading is her favorite pastime. (Reading is a gerund used alone as the subject of the sentence.)

Studying English has its rewards. (Studying is a gerund that has a direct object, “English.” The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the verb “has.”)

Picnicking in the woods has its downside. (Picnicking is a gerund modified by a prepositional phrase, “in the woods.” The gerund phrase is the subject of the verb “has.”)

2. Gerund as a direct object
My Aunt Rose loves traveling. (Traveling is a gerund used alone as the direct object of the verb “loves.”)

After a week in the wild, we appreciate sleeping inside. (Sleeping is a gerund modified by the adverb “inside.” The gerund phrase is the direct object of the verb “appreciate.”

Farhad enjoys singing in the shower. (Singing is a gerund modified by a prepositional phrase, “in the shower.” The gerund phrase is the direct object of the verb “enjoys.”

3. Gerund as a subject complement
My cats’ favorite occupation is sleeping. (Sleeping is a gerund that completes the being verb “is.” 

Jack’s daily exercise is running laps. (Running is a gerund that has a direct object, “laps.” The gerund phrase completes the being verb “is.”

Hester’s hobby is gardening on her rooftop. (Gardening is a gerund modified by a prepositional phrase, “on her rooftop.” The gerund phrase completes the being verb “is” and restates the subject.

4. Gerund as the object of a preposition
His parents punished him for stealing. (Stealing is a gerund functioning as the object of the preposition “for.”)

The search party rescued the child by climbing a cliff. (Climbing is a gerund that has a direct object, “cliff.” The gerund phrase functions as the object of the preposition “by.”

Falstaff attempts to flee by hiding in a laundry basket. (Hiding is a gerund that has a prepositional phrase, “in a laundry basket.” The gerund phrase “hiding in a laundry basket” is itself the object of a preposition: “by.”)

Source: Daily Writing Tips

Present Participle

As one of our readers tells her students, writers should rejoice in the present participle because it is one of the rarities of English “rules”: one thing they can count on.

Unlike its sibling the past participle, the present participle always has the same ending. 

Reminder:
English verbs have five principal parts: Infinitive, Simple Present, Simple Past, Past Participle, and Present Participle. 

Past participles take different forms, but the present participle always ends in -ing.

Used with helping verbs, the present participle forms the continuous tenses:

We were living in Taiwan at the time. (past continuous)

Tom Selleck has been playing law enforcement characters for thirty-four years. (present perfect continuous)

Used without a helping verb, the present participle functions as an adjective. (The -ing verb form has another use, but this post is about its function as an adjective.)

Here are some specific uses of the present participle:

in front of a noun
Poirot solved the puzzling mystery. (modifies “mystery”)

The smell of burning leaves stirs memories of my childhood. (modifies “leaves”)

after a verb of perception
They heard someone screaming. (modifies “someone”)

The woman watched the cat creeping toward the bird. (modifies “cat”)

with the verbs spend and waste
Don’t waste your time trying to convince him he’s mistaken. (modifies understood subject “You.”)

The inefficient blogger spent her entire afternoon researching and writing one post. (modify the subject “blogger”)

to introduce a participial phrase Weeping bitterly over her loss, Gwendolyn lay on the bed for several hours.
The archaeologist, sweeping the shards into a neat pile, cursed his clumsiness.

It is this last use of the participle that often leads to the error known as a “dangling participle.” For example:

Stubbing his toe on the step, the heavy chair fell from his grasp.
Leaning affectionately toward him, her head rested against his shoulder.

The participle phrases in these two examples are “dangling” because there’s no appropriate noun for them to describe. Dangling participles can be corrected in more than one way:

1. Provide an appropriate noun or pronoun for the phrase to describe:

Stubbing his toe on the step, the mover dropped the heavy chair.

Leaning affectionately toward him, she rested her head against his shoulder.

2. Rewrite the phrase as a clause:

When the mover stubbed his toe against the step, the heavy chair fell from his grasp.

She leaned affectionately toward him and rested her head against his shoulder.

Source: Daily Writing Tips

Final U in English Words

The aphorism “English words don’t end in u,” is frequently invoked by spelling teachers as an aid in spelling such common words as, blue, clue, cue, due, flue, glue, hue, and true. The silent final e also rescues the following words from the onus of ending in u: construe, continue, ensue, imbue, and issue.

The only two native English words that end in u are the pronouns thou and you, but they probably shouldn’t count because they really end in ou.

There remain 50 or so “English” words that do end in u. I put English in quotation marks because most of these u-words obviously came undigested from some other language, most from French. I’ve arranged them in three groups. I won’t provide definitions for the first group because they are fairly common. 

1. U-words you may have come across, depending on your age and reading habits
bayou
beau
bureau
caribou
chapeau
chateau
froufrou
gnu
guru
haiku
impromptu
jujitsu
kudzu
lieu
lulu
manitou
menu
milieu
muumuu
nouveau
parvenu
plateau
portmanteau
sou
tableau
tiramisu
tofu
trousseau
tutu

2. U-words with special applications

acajou: A tree related to the cashew.
bateau: a flat-bottomed boat used in the bayous.
bijou This French word for “jewel” was popular as a name for movie theaters.
eau:This French word for “water” appears on bottles of eau-de-cologne.
ecru: the color of unbleached linen.
Jehu: a fast driver. In some old novels it’s used as a generic name for a coachman. The reference is to Kings 9:20: “And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.”
kinkajou: a fruit-eating quadruped of Central and South America, allied to the raccoon.
landau: A four-wheeled carriage, the top of which, being made in two parts, may be closed or thrown open. Aficionados of period novels will be familiar with this word.
ormolu: gilded bronze or a gold-colored alloy of copper, zinc, and tin used to decorate furniture, make ornaments, etc.
pilau: a dish, partly of Middle Eastern, partly and ultimately of South Asian origin.
poilu: a soldier in the French army, especially one who fought in World War I.
rondeau: a short poem of medieval French origin.
rouleau: A length or tube of rolled fabric used as a trimming on a garment.
sadhu: In India: a holy man, a sage. I may have learned this one by reading Kim.
tonneau: The rounded rear body of a motor-car (originally with the door at the back); the rear part of a car with front and rear compartments or of an open car.
vermoulu: worm-eaten.

3. U-words that are clippings or slang

flu: from influenza
snafu: I’ll let you look this one up.
thru: an alternative spelling of through that may or may not become standard some day. 

Source: Daily Writing Tips

Teaching Listening Skills

About.com has a whole range of topics to help teachers and English learners alike. Take listening for example...

Teaching listening skills is one of the most difficult tasks for any ESL teacher. This is because successful listening skills are acquired over time and with lots of practice. Learn some of the most common reasons for difficulties, as well as suggestions and techniques to use with students. You can also explore a number of listening activities and lesson plans.

Tips to Improve Listening Here are a number of strategies such as: Listen to the radio in English everyday for just five minutes Use these strategies to improve your listening skills. You can also practice listening comprehension with these listening quizzes.

Better Pronunciation = Better Listening Skills Understanding English pronunciation patterns will not only help you improve your speaking skills, but it will also quickly improve your listening skills. Learn how to use intonation and stress to improve your listening.

Printable Quizzes for Class Teachers can use these printable quizzes in class for a wide range of grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening practice.  Source: http://esl.about.com/od/englishlistening/?nl=1

The Delayed Subject with There

In conversation we’d probably find ourselves tongue-tied if we couldn’t begin sentences with the grammatical subject there:

There are only three eggs left in the refrigerator.

There’s a lot of traffic on the freeway this morning.

In each example there begins the sentence, but the true subjects– eggs and a lot of traffic –are delayed until after the verb.
There is nothing grammatically wrong with this construction. Did you notice that I just wrote a sentence beginning with “There is”? Simply placing the true subject first would create Yoda-speak:

Nothing grammatically wrong with this construction is.

Rewriting an expletive sentence (the kind that begins with a subject place-holder like “There”) requires a little more effort than simple reversal. That’s probably why we let so many of them creep into our first drafts.
Compare the following:

There is research that shows that phonics is the most important component of beginning reading.
Research shows that phonics is the most important component of beginning reading.

Not only is the delayed subject pattern wordy, but it can also lead to a lack of subject-verb agreement. Here are some examples from websites offering professional services:

There’s good reasons EmCare is the industry leader
There’s areas of freezing drizzle/mist out there this afternoon.
There’s schooling costs, there’s health costs and they’ll continue to be provided out of the centres for those who are being temporarily resettled…(This was a government minister.)

Informal conversation is one thing, but writing for a professional purpose is something else again. If the “There is” opener is the preferred stylistic choice, then the delayed subject should agree with the verb that precedes it:

There are good reasons EmCare is the industry leader
There are areas of freezing drizzle
There are schooling costs…

Linguistically speaking, there’s may be the equivalent of French il y a, which can mean either “there is” or “there are” and there’s no reason for this article.
Practically speaking, a great many English speakers–potential customers and clients–cringe when they hear “there’s reasons,” let alone see it written in a business context.

Source: Daily Writing Tips

Proved or Proven?

Several readers have asked for clarification on the words proved and proven.

Both are forms of the verb prove: “to demonstrate or establish as true.”
As a regular transitive verb, prove has the following principle parts: 

prove (present) proved (simple past) have proved (past participle) proving (present participle)

The form proven is an irregular past participle form. One can say either, He has proved his theory, or He has proven his theory.

According the OED, proven is “the usual form [of the past participle] in Scottish English and also the preferred form in current North American English.”

That’s not to say that it doesn’t appear in British publications:

James Milner says that Manchester City have proven that they can win ugly –The Daily Mail

Here is a sampling from the Web. It’s not always possible to discern the country of origin:

We’ve proved that we can’t be trusted with setting passwords.
[Pope] Francis has proven to be a crowd favorite for many young people.

Women have proved that they can win the race.

Barry Beach has proven himself an asset to community, deserving of clemency

Brandon High has proven to be the community’s leadership institute

Quality early education has proven economic benefit for community

The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook advise against the use of proven as a past participle, but Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) opines that, “For most purposes either form is a fine past participle of prove…” 

Proven as an adjective preceding a noun is standard in both British and American usage:

Five Proven Facts that Make Yoga Awesome
This Politician is a Proven Liar
Capaldi [the new Dr. Who] is a fine actor, who has a proven track record in comedy and drama…

To sum up: Proved is the past tense of the verb prove. Both proved and proven are are acceptable as past participle forms. 

British and some American style guides recommend proved as the only past participle, admitting of established set phrases like “innocent until proven guilty.”

Proven as an adjective preceding a noun is standard usage in both British and American usage.

Pronunciation note: Americans pronounce the adjective proven with the same “oo” vowel as prove: [PROOV-n]. British speakers pronounce proven with a long o: [PRO-vn]

Source: Daily Writing Tips