Plants need light and heat to make them grow.
He was good at making people laugh.
The government's economic policies made it unpopular with voters.
Inventions such as the washing machine have made people's lives a lot easier.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
Don't say 'make somebody/something to do something'. For example don't say 'What makes young people to commit crime?' Say: What makes young people commit crime?
cause verb [transitive] to make something happen, or make someone do something:
Smoking causes cancer.
The lack of rain is causing problems for farmers.
The crisis caused oil prices to go up dramatically.
At first, the news caused people to panic.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
Cause is often used about bad things, for example: High fat diets can cause heart disease.
Cause is also often used in scientific and technical descriptions, when saying that something has a particular effect, for example: The heat causes the ink and powder to mix together, and an image is formed. Cause is more formal than make
lead to verb [intransitive] to start a process that later makes something happen:
The research could eventually lead to a cure for many serious illnesses.
Over-fishing has led to a collapse in the numbers of tuna and cod in the Atlantic.
Cutting spending budgets will inevitably lead to poorer quality public services.
result in phrasal verb to make something happen, especially something bad:
Many household fires result in death or serious injury.
Low levels of vitamin D can result in a softening of the bones.
The trial resulted in Oscar Wilde being sent to prison for 2 years.
create verb [transitive] to make a condition, situation, problem, or feeling start to exist:
In the novel, McEwan creates an atmosphere of menace.
Science and technology often create more problems than they solve.
The coach' s job is to create the conditions for success.
bring about phrasal verb to make something happen, especially a change or an improved situation:
The war brought about enormous social change.
So far, all attempts to bring about peace have failed.
give rise to a formal phrase, used when an event, action etc makes a feeling or problem start to exist:
Poor performance in exams can give rise to depression and even thoughts of suicide.
The announcement gave rise to violent protest in the east of the country.
Drinking unfiltered water can give rise to health problems.
generate verb [transitive] to make a feeling start to exist and grow among a large group of people, for example interest, support, or a demand for something:
The trial generated a lot of interest in the media.
Japan's economic success generated a huge demand for luxury goods.
be responsible for to be the person or thing that makes something happen:
The human rights panel concluded that the military was responsible for killings, torture and other abuses.
These particles are responsible for making new protein molecules.
set off phrasal verb to cause something to suddenly happen, especially fighting, protests, or debates involving a lot of people:
The killing of Martin Luther King set off a wave of rioting across the USA.
The programme set off a national debate about children's school meals.
trigger verb [transitive] to make something suddenly start to happen, especially a bad situation such as a crisis or a war, or a medical condition:
The First World War was triggered by a series of events, beginning with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
Certain foods can trigger allergies.
If oil prices keep rising, this could trigger an economic crisis.
Ways of saying that something is caused by another thing be caused by:
Many illnesses are caused by stress.
Almost half of all accidents are caused by speeding. (=driving too fast)
be the result of / result from to happen because of something else that happened or was done:
He said the success of his company was the result of hard work by all the staff.
Greenhouse gases are the direct result of pollution from cars and factories.
Meningitis results from an inflammation around the brain.
These conditions result from a combination of economic and social factors.
arise from verb [intransitive] if a problem or a serious situation arises from something, it starts to happen because of it:
A number of problems arose from the break-up of the former Soviet Union.
People are now much more aware of the dangers arising from asbestos dust.
stem from phrasal verb if something stems from another thing, it develops from it and there is a direct link with it, even though this link is not always immediately obvious:
His emotional problems stemmed from an unhappy childhood.
The present difficulties stem from the recession and the collapse of the housing market.
To be one of the things that cause something to happen
play a part if something plays a part, it is one of several things that causes something to happen:
No one knows exactly what causes the disease. Genetic factors are thought to play a part.
The rioting in the capital played a major part in the collapse of the government.
be a factor to be one of several things that affect something:
Public pressure against nuclear power was definitely a factor in their decision.
The parent's influence is a major factor in a child's progress at school. (=a very important factor) contribute to verb [intransitive] if something contributes to a situation, it is one of the things that cause that situation to happen or become worse, but it is not one of the main causes:
Methane gas is known to contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Television often gets blamed for contributing to the decline of family life.
Passive smoking could contribute to the development of respiratory diseases among nonsmokers.
It is acknowledged that unhappiness is a contributing factor in the development of certain illnesses.
influence verb [transitive] if something influences another thing, it has an effect on it, although it does not cause it directly:
Weber demonstrated that culture and religion influenced economic development.