TO HAVE / GET SOMETHING DONE
USE
1. We use the structure have/get something done when we want to say that we
ask someone else to do something for us.
Compare the sentences:
I fixed the washing machine. (I did it myself)
I had my washing machine fixed. (I asked someone to fix it for me)
FORM
Tense have/get something done
Present Simple I have/get my hair cut.
Past Simple I had/got my hair cut.
Present Continuous I'm having/getting my hair cut.
Past Continuous I was having/getting my hair cut.
Present Perfect I have had my hair cut.
Past Perfect I had had my hair cut.
will I will have my hair cut.
must I must have my hair cut.
be going to I'm going to have my hair cut.
2. We use CAUSATIVE HAVE to show that you ask someone to do something.
(have + someone + infinitive without TO.)
I had my sister do my exercises.
They had their mothers pick them at school.
3. We use CAUSATIVE GET to show the idea that someone convinces another
person to do something.
(get + someone + infinitive WITH TO)
I got her to let me copy her homework.
He'll get them to arrive before 10 pm.
4. We use CAUSATIVE MAKE to show the idea 'to force someone to do
something'.
(make + someone + infinitive without TO.)
The mother made her kid do his homework.
Did teacher make you memorize all the poem?
Causative Verbs
Causative verbs show that somebody/something is indirectly responsible
for an action. The subject doesn't perform the action itself, but causes
someone/something else to do it instead. For example:
- Yesterday I had my hair cut.
I didn't cut my own hair, but I made someone else do it for me instead - I
"caused" them to cut my hair.
Have
Have is a common causative verb. Instead of doing something ourselves,
we "have" someone else do it instead. It has the following form:
The verb "to have" + object + past participle. For example:
- I had my jacket cleaned yesterday.
- Did you have your computer fixed?
Sometimes we use have as a causative verb when we intend to perform
the action ourselves. For example:
- When will the report be ready? I'll do it by tomorrow morning. >>
- When will the report be ready? I'll have it done by tomorrow morning.
By using the causative the second sentence takes attention away from the
doer of the action, and gives more attention to the action being done. It
sounds polite and professional.
Get
Get is often used instead of have. For example:
- I got my computer fixed - I had my computer fixed. These two
sentences mean the same thing.
- I got my jacket cleaned. - I had my jacket cleaned. These two sentences
mean the same thing.
Causative verbs are often used with negative experiences. In these
situations it's more common to use have. For example:
- I had my wallet stolen. (I didn't actually cause my wallet to be stolen -
someone stole my wallet from me)
- She had her window smashed.
HAVE SOMETHING DONE GET SOMETHING DONE
The Past Participle is used after HAVE and GET to give a passive meaning . In this
case , there is little or no difference in meaning between HAVE and GET .
Example sentences :
I had the barber cut my hair. (active)
I had my hair cut (by the barber) (passive)
She will get a repairman to repair her watch. (active)
She will get her watch repaired (by a repairman) (passive)
Must we get a translator to translate the documents from Russian into Turkish?
(active)
Must we get the documents translated from Russian into Turkish (by a translator)?
(passive)
He does not have the porter take up his luggage. (active)
He does not have his luggage taken up (by the porter)? (passive)
NOTE : In some cases ( when things happen to us ) , "have something done"
suggests the person was quite innocent , and "get something done" suggests that
the person was partly responsible for what happened to him.
I had my watch stolen last week.
He got his nose broken in a fight last week.
LEMBRE-SE: Usamos have something done para dizer que alguém fez algo
por nós. Compare:
Lisa repaired the roof. (= she repaired it herself.)
Lisa had the roof repaired. (= she arranged for somebody else to repair it.)
Did you make those curtains yourself? Yes, I enjoy making things.
Did you have those curtains made? No, I made them myself.
Atente para a ordem das palavras (word order) neste tipo de construção -
o particípio passado do verbo principal vem sempre depois do objeto:
haveobject past participle
Lisa had the roof repaired.
Where did you have your hair cut?
Your hair looks nice. Have you
it cut?
had
Our neighbor has just had a garage built.
We are having the house painted at the moment.
How often do you have your car serviced?
I think you should have that coat cleaned.
I don't like having my picture taken.
We are going to have our house built.
We must have our clothes washed.
Mark is going to have his car serviced.
I must have my watch repaired.
cut if it was/were
He would have his hair
necessary.
She will have her computer fixed.
OBSERVAÇÃO:
Algumas vezes, have something done possui um significado diferente,
dependendo do sentido do verbo. Por exemplo:
Paul and Karen had all their money stolen while they were on holiday.
Nesta oração, não usamos usamos a estrutura have something done para dizer
que alguém fez algo a nosso pedido ou em nosso favor. 'They had all their money
stolen' significa apenas 'All their money was stolen from them'.
Com este significado, usamos have something done para dizer que algo acontece
a alguém ou aos seus pertences. Geralmente o que acontece não é bom:
Gary had his nose broken in a fight.
Have you ever had your passport stolen?
GET SOMETHING DONE
Podemos usar get something done no lugar de have something done
(principalmente em linguagem falada e informal.):
When are you going to get the roof repaired?
I think you should get your hair cut really short.
I got my bike fixed yesterday.
Use in Different Tenses
1-Present Simple causative form
He paints his shoes........... He his shoes .
2-Present Continuous
He is mending his car.............He his car .
3-Past Simple
She watered her garden...........She her garden .
4-Past Continuous
She was perming her hair..........She her hair permed.
5-Future Simple
I will repair the roof.........I the roof .
6-Present Perfect
The manager has cleaned the windows.........The manager the
windows .
7-Present Perfect Continuous
She has been taking photos……………..She photos
.
8-Past Perfect
You had ironed your T-shirt....You your shirt .
9-Past Perfect Continous
He had been decorating your house...........You your
house .
10-Modal/Infinitive
He may send the parcel.........You the parcel .
11-Future Continuous
I will be cutting my hair …..I my hair .
Have something done
Complete the sentences and make clear that the people don't / didn't do it themselves. (The first
sentence is given as an example.)
1. Yesterday, (I / cut / my hair).
2. Every Friday, (Joe / wash / his car).
3. Tomorrow, (she / repair / her shower).
4. Each Saturday, (we / deliver / a pizza) to our home.
5. Last year, (Bob / clean / his house) by a charwoman.
6. As Phil had a broken arm, (he / type / his texts) by his secretary.
7. (I / pick up / the goods) tomorrow in the afternoon.
8. (we / redecorate / our walls) last summer.
9. Whenever Clara is staying at this hotel, (she / carry / her bags) into her room.
10. (we / organise / our last party) by professionals.
