ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateestructura causativaestructura causativa
Have something donevsGet something done
'Have something done' and 'get something done' mean someone else does something for you; 'get' is more informal.
Side-by-side comparison
Have something done
estructura causativa"Have something done" is the standard causative structure: you describe arranging for someone else to do something for you. You are not doing it yourself.
She had her hair cut last weekend, it looks so much better now than before.
We need to have the boiler checked before winter, it has been making strange noises.
He had his car repaired at the garage on the corner, it only took them two days.
Get something done
estructura causativa"Get something done" carries the same causative meaning but sounds more informal and conversational. It can also imply it took a bit of effort to arrange.
She finally got her bike fixed after it had been sitting in the hallway for months.
Did you get the laptop repaired in the end, or did you just buy a new one?
He got the fence painted before the weekend so the garden would look nice for the party.
Common mistake
"I had my hair cutting" and "I had my hair to cut" are wrong: the causative structure requires a past participle. Correct: "I had my hair CUT". The formula is always have/get + object + past participle ("I had my car repaired", "I got my nails done").
Trick to remember it
Causative formula: have/get + object + past participle. The participle always comes AFTER the object. Substitution test: "I arranged for someone to [verb] my [object]". "I had my car repaired" = "I arranged for someone to repair my car". If it fits: it is causative.
Quick rule
- •"Have/get + object + past participle" = causative (a third party does it for you).
- •"Have something done" = more formal.
- •"Get something done" = more informal.
Did you know?
The causative structure in English is remarkable for its economy. "I had my teeth cleaned" resolves in four words what other languages need a full clause for. In formal business English, HAVE SOMETHING DONE is one of the most common structures for describing management decisions: "We had the system audited," "They had the contract reviewed." It implies both the executive decision to commission something and the completed result, without mentioning who did it, an elegance highly valued in corporate communication.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ her nails done every two weeks at the salon.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
We need to _____ the boiler fixed before winter. It's making a strange noise.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
Active voicevsPassive voice
In the active voice the subject acts; in the passive voice the subject receives the action.
GetvsBecome
"Get" signals an informal or quick change; "become" signals a formal or gradual one.
Made byvsMade from / made of
'Made by' indicates the creator; 'made from' indicates the material or ingredient; 'made of' indicates visible material.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy