A causative situation is a complex one consisting of a base situation S^d comprising a core V^d and a participant N_U – the causee – and of a superordinate causing situation S^h comprising a participant N_A – the causer. The core of S^h is the predicate cause, with N_A as the actor and S^d – and mediately N_U – as the undergoer. Causation comprises, as a variant, the notion of permission. If the causation is exerted by communication, its predicate is a directive predicate.

A causative construction is one which expands S^d by S^h. At the pole of maximal explicitness, S^h is a full clause, with the cause predicate being represented by a verb of causing, doing or letting, and its combination with S^d is a complex clause. At the pole of maximal condensation, N_A is a component of S^d and cause is a grammatical formative or is even lexically merged with V.

In , #a represents S^d; 'weed' is V^d; Irvin is N_U; Linda is N_A. cause is coded by made in #b and by had in #c. The causative construction in #b and #c is biclausal, with S^d being non-finite.

In , cause is a grammatical formative, viz. the suffix -sase. The causative construction in #b is monoclausal.

The verb of b bears a semantically causative relation to the verb of #a. The morphological relation, viz. the causative derivation, is no longer regular (as it is in ).

More detailed information on causative constructions.