Causative verbs – Get, Have, Make, Let, Help

We use causative verbs to show that someone or

something caused something to happen. Causative
verbs are: get, have, make, let and help.
Here is what you need to know about the causative in English.
Try a quick quiz to practice the causative!

Causative # 1 – HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE

This means that someone does something for you because you pay or ask
them to do it , but you don’t say who this person is.
Examples:
HAVE / GET SOMETHING DONE

He had / got his hair cut.

She didn’t have / get her teeth checked.

I had / got the leak in the roof fixed.

Did you have / get the TV repaired?

Causative # 2 – HAVE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

This means that someone does something for you because you pay or ask
them to do it, but you also say who this person is.
Examples:
HAVE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

The teacher had the students write a test.

I’ll have my assistant call you with the details.

I had the handyman fix the leak.

Did you have the electrician repair the TV

Causative # 3 – GET SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING

This means someone does something for you because you persuade (=
encourage, tell them that you’d like them to do something) them to do it. So this
construction feels less neutral than the previous ones.
Examples:
GET SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING

I (finally) got my kids to go to bed.

I can never get my wife to cook dinner.

Can you ever get your sisters to stop fighting?

Kevin got his brothers to take him on an adventure.

Causative # 4 – MAKE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

This means that you force someone/something to do something for you.

Examples:
MAKE SOMEONE/SOMETHING DO SOMETHING

You make your hips sway.

Don’t make her (Sarah) cry.

The teacher made him (Peter) work hard.

Why do you make them (your parents) worry so much about you?

Causative # 5 – LET SOMEONE/SOMETHING DO SOMETHING

This means that you allow ( = let, give permission to do something) someone to
do something or you allow something to happen.
Examples:
LET SOMEONE/SOMETHING DO SOMETHING

She let the kids stay up past midnight.

I let the chicken burn in the oven.

Why did he let this happen?

Let me go!
 Causative # 6 – HELP SOMEONE (to) DO SOMETHING

This means that you help ( = assist) someone (to) do something. This structure
is most often used without ‘to’.
Examples:
HELP SOMEONE (to) DO SOMETHING

Milk can help you fall asleep.

Could you help me carry my bags?

I don’t see how this helps them understand the lesson.

Can computer games help kids learn to read?

The English verbs let, make, have, get, and help are called causative
verbs because they cause something else to happen.
Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English
sentences.
HOW TO USE CAUSATIVE VERBS IN
ENGLISH
LET = PERMIT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN
Grammatical structure:

 LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)

Examples:

 I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.

 Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs.
 Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the cafeteria.
 Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn.
 Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000.
Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!
Note: The verbs allow and permit are more formal ways to say “let.” However,
with allow and permit, we use to + verb:
 I don’t allow my kids to watch violent movies.
 Our boss doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks.
MAKE = FORCE OR REQUIRE SOMEONE TO
TAKE AN ACTION
Grammatical structure:

 MAKE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

Examples:

 After Billy broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay for it.
 My ex-boyfriend loved sci-fi and made me watch every episode of his favorite show.
 The teacher made all the students rewrite their papers, because the first drafts were not
acceptable.
Note: When using the verbs force and require, we must use to + verb.
 The school requires the students to wear uniforms.
“Require” often implies that there is a rule.
 The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a different direction.
“Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely strong pressure

HAVE = GIVE SOMEONE ELSE THE

RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING
Grammatical structure:

 HAVE + PERSON + VERB (base form)

 HAVE + THING + PAST PARTICIPLE OF VERB
Examples of grammatical structure #1:

 I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.

 The businessman had his secretary make copies of the report.
Examples of grammatical structure #2:

 I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow.

 We’re having our house painted this weekend.
 Bob had his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
 My washing machine is broken; I need to have it repaired.
Note: In informal speech, we often use get in these cases:
 I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow.
 We’re getting our house painted this weekend.
 Bob got his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
 My washing machine is broken; I need to get it repaired.
GET = CONVINCE/ENCOURAGE SOMEONE
TO DO SOMETHING
Grammatical structure:

 GET + PERSON + TO + VERB

Examples:

 How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?

 My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
 I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to try it at a Japanese
restaurant.
 The non-profit got a professional photographer to take photos at the event for free.
HELP = ASSIST SOMEONE IN DOING
SOMETHING
Grammatical structure:

 HELP + PERSON + VERB (base form)

 HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB
 After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the
form without “to” is more common:
 He helped me carry the boxes.
 He helped me to carry the boxes.
 Reading before bed helps me relax.
 Reading before bed helps me to relax.

Let / Make / Have / Get

Let

FORM

[let + person + verb]

USE

This construction means "to allow someone to do something."

Examples:

 John let me drive his new car.

 Will your parents let you go to the party?
 I don't know if my boss will let me take the day off.

Make

FORM

[make + person + verb]

USE

This construction means "to force someone to do something."

Examples:

 My teacher made me apologize for what I had said.

 Did somebody make you wear that ugly hat?
 She made her children do their homework.

Have

FORM

[have + person + verb]

USE

This construction means "to give someone the responsibility to do something."

Examples:

 Dr. Smith had his nurse take the patient's temperature.

 Please have your secretary fax me the information.
 I had the mechanic check the brakes.

Get

FORM

[get + person + to + verb]

USE

This construction usually means "to convince to do something" or "to trick

someone into doing something."

Examples:

 Susie got her son to take the medicine even though it tasted terrible.
 How can parents get their children to read more?
 The government TV commercials are trying to get people to stop smoking.

Get vs. Have

Sometimes "get someone to do something" is interchangeable with "have

someone do something," but these expressions do not mean exactly the same
thing.

Examples:

 I got the mechanic to check my brakes.

At first the mechanic didn't think it was necessary, but I convinced him to check
the brakes.
 I had the mechanic check my brakes.
I asked the mechanic to check the brakes.

The use of get and have as

Causative Verbs
As you have noticed, the Green Level is focused
entirely on the passive voice. Normally the passive
voice is constructed with the verb "be" or "get" and
then the past participle. However, there are other
similar verb constructions you should know about.
This lesson introduces you to the causative form.

have + the past participle

I have my oil changed once every three months.

or

get + the past participle

I get my oil changed once every three months.

Both sentences have the same meaning. What

makes them different from the passive voice is
the word order:

S + V + DO + V

Generally, when you use this word order, it

sounds like you had some kind of work done for
you. You paid someone or got someone to do
something and you didn't do anything.

He got his hair cut by a barber.

(A professional barber did the work.)

or

The man had the barber

give him a haircut.

Note: If a person doing the work comes after the verb, the verb is in the simple form. If
a thing comes after the verb, the verb is in the form of the past participle. In the first
sentence, the word "cut" is a past participle. In the second sentence, "give" is in the
simple form. This is also explained in the video below.
They had their house painted blue.

(Professional painters did the work.)

or

They had a company paint

their house.

She got her teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist.

or

She had the hygienst clean her teeth.

 More examples:

 She had her nails manicured by a manicurist.

 We get our car fixed by a mechanic.
 I get my taxes done every year by an accountant.

Directions: Rewrite each sentence so that it uses the causative

verbs get or have. Pay attention to verb tense.

Example: John paid a landscaper to cut his grass. (have) John had his grass
cut by a landscaper.

We hired a progessional to paint our house. (get) We got our house

painted by a professional.

1. We paid a mechanic to fix our car.

(have) ________________________________________________________
______________.

2. Binte went to a manicurist who did her nails.

(have) ________________________________________________________
______.

3. Bob hired a handyman to fix his door.

(get) __________________________________________________________
___________.

4. The company found a caterer to prepare the food. (have)

___________________________________________________________.
5. Linda pays an accountant to do her taxes. (have)
______________________________________________________________
___.

6. We should call a plumber to replace the toilet. (get)

______________________________________________________________
_.

7. They might find a professional to manage this. (have)

_____________________________________________________________.

8. You should go to a doctor to look at that. (get)

______________________________________________________________
_____.

9. Mike will pay a lawyer to review the documents. (have)

___________________________________________________________.

10. Lisa and Tom hired a company to clean their gutters. (get)
________________________________________________________.

Directions: Rewrite each sentence so that it uses the causative

verbs get or have. Pay attention to verb tense.

Example: John paid a landscaper to cut his grass. (have) John had his grass
cut by a landscaper.

We hired a progessional to paint our house. (get) We got our house

painted by a professional.

1. We paid a mechanic to fix our car. (have) We had our car fixed by a
mechanic.

2. Binte went to a manicurist who did her nails. (have) Binted had her nails
done by a manicurist.

3. Bob hired a handyman to fix his door. (get) Bob got his door fixed by a
handyman.

4. The company found a caterer to prepare the food. (have) The company
had the food prepared by a caterer.

5. Linda pays an accountant to do her taxes. (have) Linda has her taxes done
by an accountant.
6. We should call a plumber to replace the toilet. (get) We should get the
toilet replaced by a plumber.

7. They might find a professional to manage this. (have) They might have
this managed by a professional.

8. You should go to a doctor to look at that. (get) You should get that looked
at by a doctor.

9. Mike will pay a lawyer to review the documents. (have) Mike will have the
documents reviewed by a lawyer.

10. Lisa and Tom hired a company to clean their gutters. (get) Lisa and Tom
got their gutters cleaned by a company.

La forma causativa en inglés:

“get your hair cut” y más con
GET y HAVE
Oh, you look great! Did you get your hair cut?

He aprendido una cosa nueva de la gramática últimamente: resulta que había

pasado toda la vida usando la forma causativa en inglés… ¡y sin saberlo!

Es sencillo hacerlo, pero no se enseña mucho en los libros de texto. Y nunca

había visto una explicación del tema hasta el otro día, cuando estaba
preparando un nuevo video para este mes en mi curso premium, Pasaporte al
Inglés.
El significado de la forma causativa es de algo que no haces tu, pero que
mandas hacer o pagas a otra persona por hacer.

Lo explico todo aquí, y luego en el video que verás a continuación…

¡Disfruta!
La forma causativa en inglés con get y
have
Se puede hacer las formas causativas tanto con el verbo get como con have.
Y las formas son las mismas, con complemento y participio pasado:

get something done

have something done
Supongo que así podríamos llamarlo una especie de verb pattern. En estos
ejemplos, el segundo verbo puede ser cualquier cosa que pagas por hacer, o
que mandas hacer. Así se llama la forma causativa.
Did you cut your hair? = Suena que preguntas si corté mi propio pelo.
Did you get your hair cut? = ¡Mucho mejor! Implica que otra persona me lo
cortó.

Sorry, Daniel. I can’t go out this weekend. I have to wash my hair. Yes, it’s going to take me all weekend.

Ejemplos de la forma causativa con get y

have
Lo importante en todas estas frases es que tu no haces la acción. La mandas
hacer a otra persona, o pagas a otra persona por hacerlo.

Did you get your hair cut?

My computer is broken. I’m going to get it fixed.
These trousers are dirty. I’m going to get them cleaned.
I got my car washed last week.
I want to get my house painted.
I had my portrait painted last year.
My car broke down, so I had it fixed.
Como digo en el video, la forma con have suena más formal. Pero por lo
demás, es igual.
Y si quieres decir que tú hiciste las acciones, por supuesto que puedes, usando
un verbo activo de toda la vida: I washed my car, I painted my house, I fixed my
computer, etc.
 La causativa en inglés: ¿sabes qué es y cómo se forma?

La causativa en inglés se usa en las situaciones en que tú no eres quien realiza la

acción, pero sí quieres que se haga o mandas que así sea. Veamos este ejemplo:

 I got my hair cut

En castellano traducimos la frase anterior por “Me corté el pelo”, pudiendo

significar que te lo cortaste tú mismo/a, aunque normalmente se sobreentiende
que acudiste a un salón de belleza.

En cambio si usamos esta construcción causativa en inglés, lo que estamos

haciendo es dejar claro que fue otra persona quien nos cortó el pelo porque
nosotros lo pedimos expresamente.

No es lo mismo I get my hair cut que I cut my hair. En este segundo caso sí
interpretamos que es uno mismo el que ha cogido unas tijeras y ha procedido.

Get y have en la causativa en inglés

Para construir una frase causativa en inglés podemos usar indistintamente tanto el
verbo get como el verbo have.

 I got my hair cut

 I had my hair cut

La base de la construcción de esta causativa en inglés es por tanto:

 GET something DONE

 HAVE something DONE

Es decir, usamos el verbo GET/HAVE seguido de ese algo que mandamos

hacer SOMETHING, y a continuación la acción en forma de verbo en
PARTICIPIO (como en el caso de done):

GET/HAVE + SOMETHING + PARTICIPLE

A pesar de que te pueda parecer raro o difícil al principio, estas formas de la

lengua inglesa son sencillas, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que en definitiva el
sistema verbal en inglés es sintético y bastante fácil de aprender. Son muy pocas
 las formas que tiene cada paradigma verbal, así que en poco tiempo puedes ser
un experto en la materia.

Los ejemplos de la causativa en inglés

Realmente la causativa en inglés puede entenderse como un tipo de estructura en

voz pasiva. No te obceques con las etiquetas y aprende este tipo de aspecto
gramatical con la práctica y leyendo e interiorizando algunos ejemplos como los
que te ofrecemos a continuación:

 I want to have the walls of my house painted. – Pagas a alguien para que pinte.
 They got their new car repaired yesterday. – Alguien, posiblemente un
mecánico, les reparó el coche.
 She has her room cleaned every week by a housekeeper. – Un o una trabajador le
limpia cada semana la habitación.
 Did your get hair cut at the hairdresser’s? – Un o una profesional le ha cortado
el pelo, en la peluquería
 You need to get this computer fixed soon. Bring it to the technician tomorrow. –
El ordenador será arreglado por un técnico.
 I’m going to have my trousers cleaned at the laundry. – Los pantalones se
lavarán en la lavandería.
 I got my car washed last week. – El coche se lavó en un tren de lavado.
 My car broke down, so I got it fixed. – Mandaste a alguien que arreglara tu coche
averiado.

Y tú, ¿qué necesitas que alguien haga para ti? Como ves, la causativa en inglés
indica que alguien hizo algo por otro alguien. Puede parecer una forma
complicada pero, cuanto más la usas más la dominas.

El causativo en inglés: have y get

Por lo general, las estructuras causativas se consideran una categoría de la voz pasiva. Este tipo de
estructuras se emplea para hacer mención a una situación en la que otra persona nos presta un servicio o
hace algo por nosotros. Este enfoque en el locutor es la principal diferencia entre la voz pasiva clásica y
las estructuras causativas. Analizar el siguiente ejemplo:
My car was serviced yesterday. Mi auto fue reparado ayer.
(voz pasiva – nos interesa simplemente el hecho de que el coche ha sido reparado)
I had my car serviced yesterday. Hice reparar mi auto ayer.
(estructura causativa – el locutor ha encargado la reparación de su coche)
Las estructuras causativas pueden construirse con los verbos GET o HAVE.
1. Estructuras causativas con GET:
get + complemento + infinitivo – significa “hacer que alguien o algo preste algún servicio”.Existe una
connotación de resistencia o dificultad:

I'll get my secretary to book a meeting room.

Le pediré a mi secretaria que reserve la sala de reuniones.

I can’t get the car to start.

No puedo lograr que arranque el auto.

En esta construcción, el complemento es el sujeto del infinitivo.

get + complemento+participio pasado – significa “causar que algo se haga”. El participio pasado es
equivalente a la voz pasiva:

You must get this pipe fixed as soon as possible.

Debes hacer arreglar este caño lo antes posible.

Martin got his tonsils removed yesterday.

A Martin le extirparon las amígdalas ayer.

En esta construcción, el complemento no es el sujeto del participio, sino que recibe la acción expresada
por el participio. Por eso hablamos de equivalencia con la voz pasiva.
2. Estructuras causativas con HAVE:
have + complemento + infinitivo sin “to” – su significado es similar al de la estructura con get, con la
diferencia de que se utiliza sobre todo en inglés americano y no existe una connotación de resistencia:

They had us take off our shoes in the middle of the airport.
Nos pidieron que nos sacáramos nuestros zapatos en el centro del aeropuerto.

I can see Mr. Jennings now. Have him come in, please!
Puedo ver al señor Jennings ahora. ¡Pídale que entre, por favor!

Es importante tener en cuenta que el complemento es el sujeto del infinitivo.

Observación:
Existe también una variante de esta estructura con el participio presente, que enfoca la duración de una
situación:

They had us laughing all through the evening.

Nos hicieron reír durante toda la noche.

have + complemento + participio pasado – su significado es similar al de la estructura con get, con la
diferencia de que, en algunos contextos, se utiliza para hablar de situaciones desagradables:

I had my hair cut yesterday.

Me cortaron el pelo ayer.

I had my house broken into last summer.

Se me rompió la casa el verano pasado.<
Importante:

1. Prestar atención a la diferenciaentre las siguientes frases:

I cut my hair. (lo he hecho yo mismo)

I had / got my hair cut. (otra persona, probablemente un profesional, me ha cortado el pelo)

2. Los verbos get y have no son siempre causativos:

I got dressed as quickly as I could.

Me vestí lo más rápido que pude.

I got home late at night.

Llegué a casa tarde en la noche.

They got married in June.

Se casaron en junio.
Ejercicios:

A) Elegir la opción correcta en cada oración.

1. She is going ________________ at the new hairdresser´s.

a) to cut her hair
b) to have her hair cut

2. I need to get ________________ the leak in the kitchen

a) someone to fix
b) someone fix
3. The school should have _______________ the broken windows.

a) someone to replace
b) someone replace

4. I ________________ my car serviced after the accident.

a) had
b) had to

5. She _______________ her purse stolen on the bus yesterday.

a) had
b) got
6. He´s 35 but he still ______________his family to pay his bills.
a) has
b) gets

7. I need to have my eyes ________________

a) checked
b) checking

8. He __________ while he was abroad.

a) burgled his flat
b) hasd his flat burgled

9. It took me a long time to get _________________

a) somebody answer my question
b) somebody to answer my question

10. I didn´t have any money, so I___________________ myself.

a) had my flat painted

b) painted my flat
Respuestas:

1. b
2. a
3. b
4. a
5. a
6. b
7. a
8. b
9. b
10. b
B) Rescribir las frases empleando el causativo de have y sin incluir las palabras en mayúsculas. A
continuación se da un ejemplo.

1. SOME PAINTERS have painted our living room.

We have had our living room painted.

2. A HAIRDRESSER cut Jane's hair yesterday.

Jane _________________________.

3. A CARPENTER is going to replace our windows tomorrow.

We ____________________________.

4. AN OPTICIAN is checking my eyes this afternoon.

I _______________________.

5. A MECHANIC inspected Larry's car last summer.

Larry ____________________________.

6. SOME PLUMBERS have installed a new central heating system in our house.
We __________________________.

7. THE DRY CLEANER'S is cleaning my winter coat.

I ___________________________.

8. AN EXPERT has valued Christine's jewelry.

Christine ________________________.

9. THE DENTIST is going to take out one of his wisdom teeth.

He_____________________________.

10. THE SURGEON altered her nose last year.

She ________________________.

Respuestas:

2. had her hair cut yesterday

3. are going to have our windows replaced tomorrow
4. am having my eyes checked this afternoon
5. had his car inspected last summer
6. have had a new central heating system installed in our house
7. am having my winter coat cleaned
8. has had her jewelry valued
9. is going to have one of his wisdom teeth taken out
10. had her nose altered last year

Some / Any / No - Special cases

REVISION: BASIC USE OF SOME / ANY

1- countable singular a

2- countable plural some / x

3- uncountable some /x

We use SOME in affirmative sentences and ANY in negative and

interrogative sentences.

- I have some books at home

- I don't have any books at home
- Have you got any books at home?

SPECIAL USES OF SOME / ANY

SOME in questions You use SOME in affirmatives and ANY in

interrogatives and negatives, but you must use SOME in questions when
you expect or encourage the answer "yes". In these cases, you use
SOME because a negative answer is possible but it would surprise you.
you see your friend rubbing his eye: - What’s wrong, have you got
something in your eye?
a mother to her 10-year-old son: - Can you buy some bread when you
go to the shop?

For the same reason we also use SOME in questions for offerings and
requests, because we are expecting (requests) or encouraging (offers)
an affirmative answer:
- Would you like some coffee? (offering)
- Can I have some more sugar, please? (request)

ANY in affirmatives You can use ANY in an affirmative sentence

(singular or plural) meaning "no matter which".
[ = cualquier]
- You can take any book you like, I've got many. (you can take one book,
no matter which one)
- You can take any books you like. (you can take more than one book,
no matter which ones)
- That exercise is very easy, any children here could answer that. (this
boy, or that girl, it doesn't matter who you choose, they all know the
answer)
- You don't need to go there at the weekend, you can go any day you
want, it's always open.

ANY in conditionals We usually use ANY after "if" even in

affirmative sentences (but SOME may also be possible)
- If you see anything strange, tell me
- If you like any of these books, you can borrow it

ANY in negatives You can use NO instead of NOT ANY to

emphasize the negative idea.
- I don't need any money = I need no money
- There aren't any people here = There are no people here
careful:
- I don't have no friends here (this is not possible because it is a double
negative: NOT + NO, and double negatives are not possible in standard
English)

Notice that we usually make a negative sentence with NOT, but you can
also use some other negative adverbs (never, without, rarely...), so the
rule is the same, with negative adverbs we use ANY and we use NO
with positive adverbs:
- I never see any children here (never - any)
- I always see no children here (no)
- They rarely read any books (rarely - any)
- They usually read no books (no)
- You can hardly say any words in French (hardly - any)
- You can almost say no words in French (no)
- We could do it without any problems (without - any)
- We could do it with no problems (no)

For advanced students

You can use SOME with a singular noun when you want to emphasize
that you don’t know which person or thing that is. In this case we can
use it even with proper nouns. We can consider it an emphatic form of
the singular indefinite article A.
- Some man phoned, but didn’t leave his number
- Is there some problem?
- some John has been looking for you
( in this case the usual translation is: "un tal / algún tipo de", or simply
"un")

Notice the difference:

- Is there a problem? I'm simply asking, I think that maybe there is a
problem.
- Are there any problems? I'm simply asking, I think that maybe there
are some problems.
- There was some problem SOME with a singular noun = There
was a problem but I have no idea what it was.
- Is there some problem? SOME with a singular noun = I have no
idea what the problem may be.
- Are there some problems? SOME in interrogative sentences =
I know there is a problem and I want you to tell me what, I expect the
answer to be "yes".

'Some', 'Any', and 'No Article'

(This is an extract from my book: A and The Explained)

Download this explanation in PDF here.

 We can use some, any or 'no article' before plural or uncountable nouns. They all mean
something similar to a/an before a singular noun. For example:

 Can I have a banana? [One banana, but any one is okay.]

 Can I have some bananas? [More than one banana, but any small group is okay.]

The difference between some and 'no article':

Often, there isn't a big difference in meaning between 'no article' and some. However,
we use some when we are talking about a limited number or amount (but we don't
know or we don't want to say the exact quantity).

Some means 'a certain number of' or 'a certain amount of'. We don't use some if we are
talking about something in general or thinking about it as a category. When we
use some, we don't say the exact quantity, but we could probably find it out if we
needed to. For example:

 Can you buy some milk? [We don't know exactly how much, but I'm talking about a
certain amount of milk – I don't want all the milk in the world.]

On the other hand, we use 'no article' when we aren't thinking about the quantity. It's
used to talk about the noun as a category, rather than a certain amount of it:

 We need Ø milk to make pancakes. [I'm thinking about milk as a category. I'm not
thinking about a certain amount of milk.]

More examples:

 We need to buy Ø coffee [I'm talking about coffee as a category, not thinking about the
amount].
 Would you like some coffee? [I mean a certain amount of coffee, probably a cup.]
 I ate some bread [I mean a certain amount of bread].
 I ate Ø bread [not pasta or rice].

Remember that often it doesn't make a big difference:

 Do you want Ø tea? [I'm not thinking about the amount.]

 Do you want some tea? [I'm thinking about the amount, but the meaning is really the
same as the first sentence.]

Try an exercise about this here.

The difference between some and any:

Generally, we use any in the same way as some: when we are thinking about a certain
amount or number of something. Remember, usually both some and any can only be
used with plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns, but not usually with singular
countable nouns.

We usually use some with affirmative (positive) sentences and any with negatives and
questions:
 She bought some tomatoes [positive sentence].
 She didn't buy any tomatoes [negative sentence].
 Did she buy any tomatoes [question]?

However, there are some exceptions to this.

1: Any can be used in a positive sentence to mean 'it's not important which one'. When
we use any in this way, it's most often used with singular countable nouns:

 You can take any bus.

 Pass me any glass.
 Come over any Sunday.

2: Any can also be used in positive sentences that have a negative feeling, for example if
they include never, hardly, without:

 She never eats any fruit.

 We hardly watch any television.
 Julia left the house without any money.

3: Some can be used in questions when we expect that the answer will be 'yes'. This is
very common in offers and requests:

 Would you like some coffee?

 Do you want some sandwiches?
 Could you give me some help?
 Could you pass me some sugar?

Compare the following two sentences:

 Do you have any letters for me? [This is a real question. I don't know if you have any
letters or not.]
 Do you have some letters for me? [I think you do, so I'm expecting that you will say
'yes'.]