Passive causative: Form
Use this pattern when the object is a thing — someone else does the action to it.
| Tense | Have causative | Get causative |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | I have my nails done every week. | She gets her car serviced regularly. |
| Past Simple | I had my hair cut yesterday. | We got the boiler fixed. |
| Present Continuous | We're having the kitchen painted. | She's getting her eyes tested. |
| Future | I'll have it delivered. | He'll get it done by tomorrow. |
| Question | Where do you have your hair cut? | Did you get your suit dry-cleaned? |
Use
The causative means you arrange for someone else to do something for you — usually a professional service. You do not do it yourself.
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Professional service | I had my computer repaired. (= a technician repaired it) |
| Personal service | She has her house cleaned every Friday. (= a cleaner does it) |
| Unfortunate event (have) | She had her bag stolen. (= it happened to her — she didn't arrange it!) |
Have vs Get
| Feature | Have | Get |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Neutral / formal | Informal / conversational |
| Typical context | Business, formal writing, regular arrangements | Everyday speech, persuading someone to do something |
| Unfortunate events | ✓ "He had his wallet stolen." | Less common in this use |
Active causatives: Have / Get someone (to) do something
So far, the object has been a thing that something is done to. But have/get can also take a person as the object — someone who performs the action themselves. This is the active causative.
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have | have + person + bare infinitive (no "to") | I had the mechanic check the brakes. |
| get | get + person + to + infinitive (needs "to") | I got my friend to help me move. |
Passive vs Active causative — same event, two ways to say it
| Type | Object is… | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passive causative | a thing | have/get + object + past participle | I had my car repaired. (focus: the car got repaired — by whoever) |
| Active causative | a person | have + person + bare infinitive get + person + to + infinitive |
I had the mechanic repair my car. (focus: the mechanic, specifically, did the repairing) |
Exercises
Exercise 1 — Passive causative
Choose the correct causative form.
1. I'm going to the salon tomorrow — I ___ my hair ___ (cut).
2. She ___ her car repaired at the garage last week.
3. They ___ their house painted before they sold it.
4. He ___ his wallet stolen on the bus.
5. Where do you usually ___ your suits ___? (dry-cleaned)
Exercise 2 — Active causative
Choose the correct form — pay attention to "to."
1. I ___ the mechanic ___ the brakes before the road trip.
2. It took a while, but she ___ her brother ___ her move the sofa.
3. My car repaired itself? No — I ___ my car ___. (a mechanic did it)
4. I ___ the mechanic ___ my car. (I told him what to do, he did the work himself)
5. The manager ___ the new employee ___ the whole office before lunch.