B2 To cause something means to make it happen. This is often a bad thing/negative. Here are some advanced causative examples :
I think the jury is entitled to know what powerful force has caused him to change his mind.
This tidal wave of high-energy particles
excites atmospheric atoms such as oxygen and nitrogen,
causing them to rapidly shed photons at various energy levels.
A search in the NOW corpus for:
CAUSE _P _TO _VVI
1 CAUSED HIM TO MISS 2458
2 CAUSING HIM TO FALL 1518
3 CAUSED HIM TO LOSE 1207
4 CAUSING HER TO FALL 952
5 CAUSING HIM TO LOSE 776
6 CAUSE YOU TO LOSE 685
So don’t let this get in your head and cause you to lose that.
7 CAUSING HIM TO MISS 589
8 CAUSED HER TO LOSE 587
9 CAUSED HIM TO FALL 563
10 CAUSE THEM TO LOSE 482
11 CAUSING HER TO LOSE 422
12 CAUSING THEM TO LOSE 420
13 CAUSE YOU TO FEEL 342
14 CAUSE HIM TO MISS 328
15 CAUSED THEM TO LOSE 312
16 CAUSES YOU TO CREATE 312
17 CAUSE THEM TO BECOME 275
18 CAUSING IT TO FALL 275
19 CAUSED HER TO FALL 273
20 CAUSING IT TO CRASH 266
21 CAUSED HIM TO SUFFER 263
22 CAUSING THEM TO BECOME 254
23 CAUSING IT TO ROLL 251
24 CAUSING THEM TO FALL 240
25 CAUSE US TO LOSE 239
26 CAUSE HIM TO LOSE 227
27 CAUSED HER TO SUFFER 227
28 CAUSED HER TO MISS 222
29 CAUSED ME TO LOSE 221
30 CAUSED HIM TO BECOME 219
31 CAUSED HER TO BECOME 217
32 CAUSED HIM TO LEAVE 213
33 CAUSING IT TO BECOME 210
34 CAUSE YOU TO MISS 206
35 CAUSING IT TO LOSE 201
36 CAUSED HIM TO GO 200
37 CAUSING IT TO COLLAPSE 200
38 CAUSING HIM TO BLEED 193
39 CAUSING IT TO BREAK 190
40 CAUSING HER TO SUFFER 189
41 CAUSING HIM TO SUFFER 188
42 CAUSED THEM TO MISS 176
43 CAUSING HIM TO CRASH 173
44 CAUSED IT TO LOSE 171
45 CAUSING IT TO SPIN 164
46 CAUSING THEM TO MISS 160
47 CAUSE THEM TO FEEL 157
48 CAUSE IT TO LOSE 156
49 CAUSED THEM TO BECOME 156
50 CAUSED ME TO REFLECT 153
51 CAUSING YOU TO FEEL 152
52 CAUSED HIM TO TAKE 147
53 CAUSES THEM TO LOSE 147
54 CAUSING HIM TO HIT 147
55 CAUSING HIM TO DROP 146
56 CAUSED HIM TO DROP 145
57 CAUSING HER TO HIT 145
58 CAUSE YOU TO GET 141
59 CAUSED ME TO THINK 141
60 CAUSING IT TO SINK 140
61 CAUSING THEM TO DIE 138
62 CAUSES THEM TO BECOME 137
63 CAUSED HIM TO GET 136
64 CAUSING IT TO GO 135
65 CAUSE IT TO BECOME 134
66 CAUSE YOU TO BECOME 134
67 CAUSE THEM TO FALL 132
68 CAUSE THEM TO MISS 128
69 CAUSE YOU TO MAKE 128
70 CAUSING IT TO FLIP 128
71 CAUSING YOU TO LOSE 128
72 CAUSED HER TO DEVELOP 127
73 CAUSE IT TO FALL 123
74 CAUSING IT TO OVERTURN 123
75 CAUSES YOU TO LOSE 122
76 CAUSED IT TO CRASH 119
77 CAUSING HIM TO BECOME 118
78 CAUSING THEM TO FEEL 118
79 CAUSED US TO LOSE 117
80 CAUSED HIM TO MAKE 116
81 CAUSED THEM TO SUFFER 112
82 CAUSING HER TO MISS 112
83 CAUSED HER TO GO 111
84 CAUSED HIM TO CRASH 111
85 CAUSED HER TO FEEL 109
86 CAUSING HIM TO GO 109
87 CAUSE HER TO LOSE 108
88 CAUSED HIM TO BREAK 108
89 CAUSE THEM TO GO 107
90 CAUSED HIM TO DEVELOP 107
91 CAUSES YOU TO FEEL 107
92 CAUSE US TO FEEL 102
93 CAUSED HER TO TAKE 101
94 CAUSED HIM TO STOP 101
95 CAUSING HER TO BLEED 101
96 CAUSING IT TO BLEED 101
97 CAUSE US TO INCUR 100
98 CAUSED THEM TO DEVELOP 100
99 CAUSED THEM TO FALL 99
100 CAUSED HIM TO CHANGE 98
If we count the frequency in the above results, It is interesting to see that the root form is less common than the -ed or -ing:
caused: 37
causing: 37
cause: 21
lose: 19
become: 10
miss: 9
fall: 9
feel: 7
causes: 5
suffer: 5
go: 5
crash: 4
bleed: 3
develop: 3
break: 2
take: 2
hit: 2
drop: 2
get: 2
make: 2
RESEARCH NOTES:
A wide search for verb patterns after the verb ’cause’ and any other salient vocabulary in the news reveals that most of these seem to be disclaimers.
- CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER
- CAUSING THEM TO TEMPORARILY LOSE
- CAUSE RESULTS NOT TO BE
- CAUSE OUR ACTUAL RESULTS TO
- CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS TO
- CAUSED OR ALLEGED TO BE
- CAUSE RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY
- CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO VARY
- CAUSED HIM TO MISS THE
- CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO BE
- CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS TO DIFFER
A search in the NOW corpus for:
caus*_V * * * *
1 CAUSED. UNTIL WE RESOLVE 137933 (We will delete any other results where the verb is at the end of the sentence.)
2 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER 38119
3 CAUSED ( INCLUDING THROUGH NEGLIGENCE 11417
4 CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC 8155
5 CAUSED BY THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED 8004
6 CAUSES MILD OR MODERATE SYMPTOMS 7558
7 CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS, 7024
8 CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 5826
9 CAUSE MORE SEVERE ILLNESS, 4773
10 CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC. 4500
11 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE 4139
12 CAUSED BY THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 3950
13 CAUSING THEM TO TEMPORARILY LOSE 3897
14 CAUSED AND HOPE TO BE 3224
15 CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS OR RESULTS 3204
16 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS OR EVENTS 3044
17 CAUSE THE COMPANY ‘S ACTUAL 3003
18 CAUSE MORE SEVERE ILLNESS OR 2936
20 CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. 2887
21 CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC, 2859
22 CAUSING DEATH BY DANGEROUS DRIVING 2811
23 CAUSE RESULTS NOT TO BE 2805
24 CAUSES ONLY MILD OR MODERATE 2299
25 CAUSE OUR ACTUAL RESULTS TO 2212
26 CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS, 2187
27 CAUSED BY THE VIRUS. 2097
28 CAUSE OUR ACTUAL RESULTS, 2072
29 CAUSED BY THE NEW CORONAVIRUS 2012
30 CAUSED BY A LACK OF 1720
31 CAUSED, ARISING FROM THE 1715
32 CAUSE ACTUAL ACTIONS , EVENTS 1678
33 CAUSED BY COVID-19 . 1640
34 CAUSE ACTIONS, EVENTS OR 1638
35 CAUSED BY THE VIRUS, 1587
36 CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS TO 1585
37 CAUSED OR ALLEGED TO BE 1347
38 CAUSED BY OR IN CONNECTION 1342
39 CAUSED BY A COMBINATION OF 1299
40 CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD 1298
41 CAUSE RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY 1280
42 CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE. 1256
43 CAUSED AS A RESULT OF 1192
44 CAUSED BY THE OMICRON VARIANT 1072
45 CAUSING THE DEATH OF A 1004
46 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO VARY 1003
47 CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY BY DANGEROUS 962
48 CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF 956
49 CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC AND 951
50 CAUSED A BIT OF A 948
51 CAUSED BY THE DELTA VARIANT 935
52 CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF 903
53 CAUSING FINANCIAL LOSS TO THE 890
54 CAUSED BY THE USE OF 879
55 CAUSED HIM TO MISS THE 851
56 CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, 850
57 CAUSING DEATH BY CARELESS DRIVING 837
58 CAUSE OR CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH 833
59 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO BE 821
60 CAUSE GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM. 796
61 CAUSING BODILY HARM. 789
62 CAUSED THE DEATH OF A 768
63 CAUSED BY THE LACK OF 761
64 CAUSING GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM WITH 757
65 CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK 751
66 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS AND EVENTS 732
67 CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS OF 730
68 CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS AND 728
69 CAUSED BY RUSSIA’S INVASION 718
70 CAUSED THE CRASH. 715
71 CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE 703
72 CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS TO DIFFER 661
73 CAUSE GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM, 651
74 CAUSE MORE SEVERE ILLNESS. 648
75 CAUSED THE FIRE. 642
76 CAUSE FUTURE RESULTS TO DIFFER 635
77 CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS, RESULTS 634
78 CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE 628
79 CAUSED A STIR IN THE 628
80 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS OR OUTCOMES 624
81 CAUSED BY A VARIETY OF 624
82 CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT 604
83 CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE 602
84 CAUSED BY THE WAR IN 602
85 CAUSE MANY OF THE MAJOR 587
86 CAUSING DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE ) 574
87 CAUSED TO ANY PERSON/ORGANISATION DIRECTLY 568
88 CAUSED A STIR WHEN HE 564
89 CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE 563
90 CAUSED BY THE SPREAD OF 550
91 CAUSED THE DEATH OF THE 548
93 CAUSED A STIR ON SOCIAL 540
94 CAUSING DEATH DUE TO NEGLIGENCE 535
95 CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS 525
98 CAUSED HIS DEATH. 518
99 CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS AND DEVELOPMENTS 516
100 CAUSED BY THIS WEBSITE! 503
cause to or ing | cause gerund or infinitive
A search in iWeb for infinitives after ’cause’:
CAUSE _TO *
We can see that “cause” is usually a noun if it is directly followed by an infinitive.
1 CAUSE TO BE 2573
God has spoken, proving your cause to be truthful and just.
Oh, you’ve got no cause to be encouraged, sir.
Why’d you boys go digging where you had no cause to be?
Well… He’s got no cause to be coming here like that.
You ain’t got no cause to be scared of nothing.
In the given examples, “cause to be” is used to indicate the reason or justification for a particular action or state of being. It is often used to describe a situation where something is brought into existence or made to happen.
2 CAUSE (NN1) TO BELIEVE 1931
3 CAUSE (VV0_NN1) TO BE 1690
4 CAUSE (NN1) TO BE 933
5 CAUSE (VV0_NN1) TO BELIEVE 789
6 CAUSED (VVD_VVN) TO BE 563
7 CAUSED (VVN) TO BE 445
8 CAUSE (NN1) TO ARREST 332
9 CAUSED (VVD) TO BE 291
10 CAUSING (VVG) TO BE 282
Gerunds are very common directly after the verb “cause” especially in medical warnings:
CAUSE _V*G
1 CAUSE VOMITING 910
2 CAUSE ITCHING 788
3 CAUSE BLOATING 735
4 CAUSE BREATHING 486
5 CAUSE SCARRING 468
6 CAUSE BLEEDING 411
7 CAUSE BEING 387
8 CAUSE SWELLING 357
9 CAUSE CHOKING 286
10 CAUSE COUGHING 240
We asked AI to complete these:
- The medication may cause vomiting in some patients.
- The new detergent caused itching and rashes on my skin.
- Eating too much can cause bloating and discomfort.
- The smoke from the fire caused breathing difficulties for the residents. (breathing acts more like an adjective)
- The accident caused scarring on her face that never went away.
- The injury caused bleeding that required immediate medical attention.
- The new job caused him to be away from his family for long periods of time. (AI didn’t follow the gerund example)
- The bee sting caused swelling and redness around the affected area.
- The piece of food caused choking and the person had to be given the Heimlich maneuver.
- The cold weather caused coughing and sneezing in many people.