Dear Alan,
I want the car repaired.
Is this a causative construct? If yes, then which verbs can be used with causative? (I heard only have and get are possible) If no, then what is this?
want the car repaired.
Moderator: Alan
-
- Rising Star
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 8:29 pm
- Location: Poland
- Alan
- Teacher/Moderator
- Posts: 15257
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:56 pm
- Status: Teacher of English
- Location: Japan
Not really causative in the usual sense, since an infinitive has been ellipted here that could not occur in a true causative construction. That is, the sentence could be expanded to
I want the car TO BE repaired.
Cf., however, unacceptable
*I had the car TO BE repaired.
or absurd
!I got the car TO BE repaired.
I want the car TO BE repaired.
Cf., however, unacceptable
*I had the car TO BE repaired.
or absurd
!I got the car TO BE repaired.
Last edited by Alan on Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:30 am, edited 1 time in total.