Causatives: Have and Get

We use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us or for
another person. It means that the subject caused the action to happen, but didn't do it themselves.
Maybe they paid, or asked, or persuaded the other person to do it. For example, we can say:
 I cleaned my house. (This means I cleaned it myself).
 If I paid someone to clean it, of course I can say:
 A cleaner cleaned my house.
 But, another way is to use a causative construction. So I can also say:
 I had my house cleaned.
In a sense, using a causative verb is similar to using a passive. The important thing is that the house
is now clean. We don't focus on who did the cleaning.

Have + object + past participle (have something done)

We usually use 'have something done' when we are talking about paying someone to do something
for us. It's often used for services. The form is 'subject + have + object + past participle'.
 I had my car washed.
 John will have his house painted.

Get + object + past participle (get something done)

We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is
less formal.
 The students get their essays checked.
 I'll get my hair cut next week.
 He got his washing machine fixed.

Have someone do something (have + person + infinitive)

We can also use the construction 'subject + have + person + infinitive'. This has a very similar
meaning to 'have something done', which we've already talked about, but this time we say who did
the thing - we talk about the person who we asked to do the thing for us.
 I had the electrician look at my broken light.
 The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.
 The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.

Get someone to do something (get + person + to + infinitive)

Finally, we can also use the construction 'get + someone + to + infinitive'. Again, this means that you
cause the other person to do the action, maybe by paying them to do it, or by asking them to do it,
or by persuading them to do it.
 She gets her son to do his homework by promising him ice cream when he's finished.
 I got the cleaner to clean under the cupboards.
Sometimes, this construction has the feeling that we needed to convince someone to do something,
while the other constructions on this page are neutral.
Causatives 1
Change the sentences so they use the structure 'have something done' or 'get something done'.
1) I washed my car. (have)

2) I cut my hair. (get)

3) I typed the documents. (have)

4) I fixed the washing machine. (get)

5) I cut the grass. (have)

6) I painted my bedroom. (get)

7) I repaired my fridge. (have)

8) I tidied my garden. (get)

9) I edited the article. (have)

10) I cleaned the carpets. (get)

11) I cleaned the windows. (have)

12) I checked my teeth. (get)

13) I printed the photo. (have)

14) I made the necklace. (get)

15) I delivered the furniture. (have)

16) I wrote the report. (have)

17) I repaired the roof. (get)

18) I built the shed. (get)

19) I dyed my hair. (get)

20) I sent the money. (have)

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Causatives 2
Change the sentences, use the structure 'have someone do something' or 'get someone to do
something'. Start with 'I'.
1) The cleaner cleaned the house. (have)

2) The taxi driver collected us. (have)

3) John arrived on time. (get)

4) The mechanic fixed the brakes. (have)

5) The teacher explained the lesson. (have)

6) My husband looked after our children. (get)

7) The waiter brought some water. (have)

8) The nurse took your temperature. (have)

9) The students stopped sleeping in class. (get)

10) The teenagers went to bed early. (get)

11) The dentist cleaned my teeth. (have)

12) My friend took her car. (get)

13) The window cleaner washed the windows. (have)

14) The toddler ate her vegetables.

15) The teacher checked my writing. (get)

16) The secretary typed the report. (have)

17) The shop assistant gave me a discount. (get)

18) The shop delivered the food. (have)

19) The children did their homework. (get)

20) My colleague helped me write the report. (get)