Causative Form - Saxon Life
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A. CAUSATIVE FORM
SAXON LIFE
Many Saxons had their houses (1) burned down and their money (2) by the Vikings, so they were glad when the Vikings stopped attacking them. However, after that, life in Saxon times was not all easy - unless you were a lord, of course. Saxon lords (3) for them. For example, they didn't have to build their own houses – they (4) by slaves. They didn't make their own clothes or do their own cooking like everyone else – they (5) by tailors and their food (6) by servants. If you were a slave though, life was tough. Slaves who ran away (7) off and if they stole something, they (8) chopped off. Nice guys, those Saxons!
This question includes visual content: The image includes a text-based fill-in-the-blank exercise with 8 blanks. On the top right, there is a small inset illustration of a person on a horse with a speech bubble: '– Are you going to have your hair cut before you go on this ride?'. On the middle right, there is a pink speech bubble titled 'CLUES' containing a list of phrases that fill the gaps: 'cooked', 'had their hands', 'had their clothes made', 'stolen', 'fingers cut', 'had their houses', 'had them built', 'had everything done'. 'had their houses' is crossed out in the clue list.
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In this lesson, we will explore the causative form in English using this passage about Saxon life. The causative structure 'have something done' is used when someone else performs an action for us, or when an unfortunate event happens to someone.
Causative Form
Structure: Subject + have/had + object + past participle
Let's look at the first set of blanks. The example says many Saxons 'had their houses burned down'. Next, it mentions money and the Vikings. Since Vikings were known for looting, the best fit from our clues is 'stolen'.
1. had their houses (burned down)
2. stolen
Moving on to Saxon lords, the text says life was easier for them. The clues include 'had everything done'. This fits perfectly at blank three, as it summarizes their easy lifestyle.
3. had everything done
Next, the text says they didn't have to build their own houses. Instead, they 'had them built' by slaves. Here, the object 'them' refers back to the houses.
4. had them built
Similarly, for their clothing, they didn't make it themselves. They 'had their clothes made' by tailors. This follows the causative rule: had plus object plus the past participle 'made'.
5. had their clothes made
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