ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediatestructureinfinitive
Have something donevsDo it yourself
'Have/get + object + past participle' means arranging for someone else to do something, or having something happen to you.
Side-by-side comparison
Have something done
structure"Have something done" expresses that you arrange for someone else to do something for you. You are not the one doing it; someone else carries it out on your behalf.
I need to have my laptop repaired, the screen flickers every time I open it.
She had her hair cut short before the summer and loves the new style.
We are having the kitchen painted this weekend while we stay at my parents' house.
Do it yourself
infinitiveIt can also indicate that something happened to you without your wanting it. Context makes it clear whether you arranged it or whether it happened to you.
He got his younger brother to help him move all the furniture to the new flat.
Can you get the technician to check the internet connection? It keeps dropping out.
She got her neighbour to water the plants while she was away on holiday.
Common mistake
- •"I have repaired the car" (present perfect, I did it) vs "I had the car repaired" (causative, someone else did it).
- •The object between "have/get" and the participle signals the causative.
- •With "have" causative, the agent takes a bare infinitive: "I had a mechanic repair it".
Trick to remember it
- •Is there an object between "have/get" and the participle? It is causative ("I had MY CAR repaired").
- •Does the participle follow "have" directly with no object? It is present perfect ("I have repaired").
Quick rule
- •"Have/get + object + participle" = causative (a third party does it).
- •"Have + participle" with no object = present perfect (I did it).
Did you know?
The causative construction exists in nearly every language in the world but each language forms it differently. What is fascinating about English is that it uses the SAME verb HAVE for two completely different functions: the present perfect ("I have done it. I did it") and the causative ("I have it done, someone else did it"). This potential ambiguity disappears in real use because word order clearly distinguishes them. Linguists classify causative constructions worldwide into three types: morphological (a suffix on the verb), lexical (special verbs like MAKE/HAVE/GET), and periphrastic (auxiliary + infinitive). English uses all three types depending on context.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ her hair cut at the salon yesterday.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
We need to _____ the roof repaired before winter.
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.
Have something donevsGet something done
'Have something done' and 'get something done' mean someone else does something for you; 'get' is more informal.
MakevsLet
Causative verbs have fixed structures: 'make/let' + bare infinitive; 'get/allow' + 'to' + infinitive.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy