SPYMASTER | Mission 16: Causative

40 min

Causative

1 topic

2 tasks

SPYMASTER

Mission 16

2 similar phrases to start with:

Let's go

a) I want to cut my hair.
b) I want to have my hair cut.

In the first case, you grab your own scissors.
In the second, you go to the beauty shop, pay the hairdresser and (s)he does that properly.

Today we’ll talk about people doing things for us or to us.
It’s called the Causative.

HOW IS IT FORMED?

HAVE/GET + STH + V₃

V₃ here represents the Past Participle, a form you find in the third column of a table with irregular verbs.

With regular verbs, just add -ed to form it:

played
painted
finished

In informal settings, you can use GET instead of HAVE. The meaning will remain the same.

I need to have my hair cut.
I need to get my hair cut.

When they do something for you or to you.

I want to cut my hair. — I want to cut my own hair, by myself.
I want to have/get my hair cut. — I want someone to cut my hair for me.

This structure works to indicate both positive and negative outcomes:

Note that sometimes only the context will reveal the intended meaning. Consider this:

They had their fence pulled down. (either they employed somebody to pull it down or it was pulled down without them planning it, e.g. by vandals)

WHEN IS IT USED?

She has/gets her room redecorated every year. (she pays someone to do that)

We're having/getting a new air conditioning system installed. (we're paying someone for their services)

They will have/get their car repaired as quickly as they can. (they will have to pay)

–

John had/got all of his money stolen from his hotel room. (someone did it to John)

We had/got our fence damaged. (they did it to us)

I had/got my nose broken playing rugby. (they did it to me)

HOW DO I USE IT IN DIFFERENT TENSES?

Just put have/get in the required form. You don’t have to do anything about the Past Participle (V₃) of the main verb.

She is going to have her hair dyed. (going to)
She has her hair dyed once a month. (Present Simple)
She is having her hair dyed today. (Present Continuous)
She had her hair dyed two weeks ago. (Past Simple)
She has just had her hair dyed. (Present Perfect)
She had had her boobs done before she had her hair dyed. (Past Perfect)

She is going to get her hair dyed. (going to)
She gets her hair dyed once a month. (Present Simple)
She is getting her hair dyed today. (Present Continuous)
She got her hair dyed two weeks ago. (Past Simple)
She has just got her hair dyed. (Present Perfect)
She had got her boobs done before she got her hair dyed. (Past Perfect)

ADVANCED POINTS

We can also use get sth done to talk about completing something, even when we do that ourselves.

It will take me another hour to get the washing done. (= I will do the washing by myself)
After you've got the children dressed, can you make the beds? (= you will do that yourself)

There is also a similar 'active' pattern, meaning 'cause or order someone to do something':

→ get + person + to-infinitive
→ have + person + infinitive without to
→ have + person + V₃