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Jasonkhlim Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Causative Verbs

Hello there.
Do we only use causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us?

Ex: ''I have everything planned out.''

This example doesn't seem to me that someone has helped me plan everything out.

Can we use this type of structure when something is done by ourselves instead of someone?
  

Top answer

'' This could conceivably be causative. For example, "When I start a new project, I first of all go to the Project Planning Team and have everything planned out. More usually it would not be causative, but would describe the current situation, viewed, loosely speaking, as being "possessed" by the speaker.

— GPY

  • '' This could conceivably be causative.
  • For example, "When I start a new project, I first of all go to the Project Planning Team and have everything planned out.
  • More usually it would not be causative, but would describe the current situation, viewed, loosely speaking, as being "possessed" by the speaker.
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7 Answers
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jasonkhlimEx: ''I have everything planned out.''
This could conceivably be causative. For example, "When I start a new project, I first of all go to the Project Planning Team and have everything planned out. More usually it would not be causative, but would describe the current situation, viewed, loosely speaking, as being "possessed" by the speaker.
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jasonkhlimDo we only use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us?
No. Causative verbs can be used in other ways. Even in a causative construction like I have everything planned out, the causative verb doesn't have to be about getting others to do something for you. In this
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CalifJimNo. Causative verbs can be used in other ways. Even in a causative construction like I have everything planned out, the causative verb doesn't have to be about getting others to do something for you. In this case you could say that the meaning is that you have 'organized' or 'arranged' things in 'the world' or 'the situation' in such a way that everything is now p
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GPYI think you have a different understanding of "causative". I wouldn't call "I have everything ready" causative either.
Something has gone wrong with my explanation because it wasn't my intention to leave the reader with the idea that "I have everything ready" is causative. I wasn't even saying that "I have everything planned out" was causative. I'll have
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CalifJimSomething has gone wrong with my explanation because it wasn't my intention to leave the reader with the idea that "I have everything ready" is causative. I wasn't even saying that "I have everything planned out" was causative. I'll have to find a better way to say it.
Oh, OK, sorry, I completely misunderstood you.
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Thanks for the explanation.

What is the difference between I have everything planned out and I have planned everything out ?

And also I have my passport renewed and I have renewed my passport
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jasonkhlimI have everything planned out ... I have my passport renewed
The focus is on the resulting state. Everything is planned out. My passport is renewed. Those things are done.
This one has the present tense.
jasonkhlimI have planned everything out ... I have renewed my passport
The focus is on the actions perfor
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