Causative Form - Difference between 子供に本を読ませる　and 子供を本を読ませる


What is the difference between these two examples?

>   1. 子供 **に** 本 **を** 読ませる
>   2. 子供 **を** 本 **を** 読ませる
>

Please give me some other example to illustrate the difference.




子供を本を読ませる is ungrammatical, and you have to say 子供 **に** 本を読ませる.

Here are the basic rules for causation:

  1. For verbs which take を, the agent (or "causee") is marked with に. Such verbs are usually transitive verbs, but [some intransitive verbs take を](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/21313/5010), too.
  2. For verbs which don't take を (i.e., most intransitive verbs), the agent is marked with を.

In your question, 読む is a fairly simple transitive verb which takes an object
marked with を. So the agent (子供) must be marked with に.

Other examples:

  * **子供を** 眠らせた。 I made the kid sleep.  
(眠る is a simple intransitive verb which never takes an object)

  * **子供に** 歯を磨かせた。 I made the kid brush his teeth.  
(磨く is a simple transitive verb)

  * **子供に** 磨かせた。 I made the kid brush (it).  
(The object is omitted, but still the agent is marked with に because 磨く is
transitive. 子供を磨かせた would mean "I made (someone) brush the kid")

  * **子供を** 家に帰らせた。 I made the kid return home.  
(帰る is an intransitive verb which takes に, but never takes an object marked
with を)

  * **子供に** 道路を渡らせた。 I made the kid cross the road.  
(渡る is an intransitive verb which does take を)

And you can find some edge cases in this question.

  * [When the agent takes を in the causative form](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3624/5010)




子供を本を読ませる is ungrammatical, and you have to say 子供 **に** 本を読ませる.

Here are the basic rules for causation:

  1. For verbs which take を, the agent (or "causee") is marked with に. Such verbs are usually transitive verbs, but [some intransitive verbs take を](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/21313/5010), too.
  2. For verbs which don't take を (i.e., most intransitive verbs), the agent is marked with を.

In your question, 読む is a fairly simple transitive verb which takes an object
marked with を. So the agent (子供) must be marked with に.

Other examples:

  * **子供を** 眠らせた。 I made the kid sleep.  
(眠る is a simple intransitive verb which never takes an object)

  * **子供に** 歯を磨かせた。 I made the kid brush his teeth.  
(磨く is a simple transitive verb)

  * **子供に** 磨かせた。 I made the kid brush (it).  
(The object is omitted, but still the agent is marked with に because 磨く is
transitive. 子供を磨かせた would mean "I made (someone) brush the kid")

  * **子供を** 家に帰らせた。 I made the kid return home.  
(帰る is an intransitive verb which takes に, but never takes an object marked
with を)

  * **子供に** 道路を渡らせた。 I made the kid cross the road.  
(渡る is an intransitive verb which does take を)

And you can find some edge cases in this question.

  * [When the agent takes を in the causative form](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3624/5010)

