Forum newsfeeds
Forum Newsfeeds


Sites for Teachers

Sites for Teachers




Go Back   UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum > Learning English > Ask a Teacher

Notices

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 20-Jan-2008, 22:50
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Country: brazil
Posts: 326
Current Location: rio de janeiro
First Language: Portuguese
Member Type: Student or Learner
Thanks: 197
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
beachboy is on a distinguished road
Default causative form

Is the sentence "I'll have my wife help me with the cooking" acceptable? As the speaker will be carrying out the action, together with the wife, I found myself puzzled and intrigued.
Thanks in advance
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 20-Jan-2008, 23:54
curmudgeon's Avatar
Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Country: Scotland
Posts: 1,634
Current Location: England
First Language: English
Member Type: Student or Learner
Thanks: 0
Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts
curmudgeon is on a distinguished road
Default Re: causative form

I'll have my wife helping me with the cooking. Your sentence feels like AE, they tend to abbreviate or omit words. Its not their fault
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 21-Jan-2008, 00:47
Key Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada
First Language: English
Member Type: English Teacher
Thanks: 4
Thanked 486 Times in 446 Posts
riverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of light
Default Re: causative form

Quote:
Beachboy:
Is the sentence "I'll have my wife help me with the cooking" acceptable? As the speaker will be carrying out the action, together with the wife, I found myself puzzled and intrigued.
Though they will share the task, the speaker still needs to arrange for his wife to help so this is both natural and common, BB. Also, and maybe more common in speech,

"I'll get my wife to help me with the cooking"

Quote:
Originally Posted by curmudgeon View Post
I'll have my wife helping me with the cooking. Your sentence feels like AE, they tend to abbreviate or omit words. Its not their fault
"I'll have my wife help me with the cooking" AND "I'll have my wife helping me with the cooking" have different meanings, C. The first means that the speaker will get his wife to help and the second means that the speaker has already arranged for the wife to help and he's describing some future event.
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 21-Jan-2008, 00:58
Key Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Country: USA
Posts: 2,131
Current Location: Oakland County, Michigan
First Language: American English
Member Type: Academic
Thanks: 32
Thanked 723 Times in 702 Posts
susiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to behold
Default Re: causative form

It means "to make arrangements for."

You'll have your car tommorrow.

I'll have my secretary call you.
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 21-Jan-2008, 01:12
Key Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada
First Language: English
Member Type: English Teacher
Thanks: 4
Thanked 486 Times in 446 Posts
riverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of lightriverkid is a glorious beacon of light
Default Re: causative form

Quote:
Originally Posted by susiedqq View Post
It means "to make arrangements for."

You'll have your car tommorrow.

I'll have my secretary call you.
While there is a sense of "to make arrangements for" in your first example, I don't believe that it is a causative form, Susie.
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 21-Jan-2008, 09:42
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Country: brazil
Posts: 326
Current Location: rio de janeiro
First Language: Portuguese
Member Type: Student or Learner
Thanks: 197
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
beachboy is on a distinguished road
Default Re: causative form

Thanks to all of you!
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 21-Jan-2008, 16:21
Key Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Country: USA
Posts: 2,131
Current Location: Oakland County, Michigan
First Language: American English
Member Type: Academic
Thanks: 32
Thanked 723 Times in 702 Posts
susiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to beholdsusiedqq is a splendid one to behold
Default Re: causative form

I'll have my people get back to your people on that.
(I don't think this is a true causative form - rather, an idiom)



I
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
form & within yourself? Eway Ask a Teacher 5 13-May-2006 12:40
Causative Verb rajan Ask a Teacher 7 27-Oct-2005 10:10
YOU, the respected form Anonymous Ask a Teacher 1 27-Jul-2004 21:50
first form vs base form Anonymous Ask a Teacher 1 03-Jan-2003 16:01


New To Site? Need Help?

All times are GMT. The time now is 06:00.


vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.2.0
Copyright © 2002 - 2008 UsingEnglish.com