UNIT
25
Causatives
HAVE / GET something done • You use have something done when you ask somebody else to carry out an action. You don’t do it by yourself: I had my hair dyed last week. (I didn’t dye it myself. Somebody else did that for me) • The verb that must change tense is have, whereas the verb expressing the action is always in the Past Participle. Here are a few examples with some of the main tenses: Tense Present continuous
Have We’re having
Object the house
Past participle redecorated this week.
Present perfect
I’ve just had
my hair
cut. Do you like it?
Past simple
Why did you have
the fence
painted red?
Future simple
Will the City Council have
the road
resurfaced next week?
• Have something done can also be used when you are the victim of an action that is against your will or damages you: I had my wallet stolen when I was at the gym. He had his nose broken during a fight outside a club. • You can also use get instead of have in more informal situations: When did you get your nose pierced? HAVE / MAKE / LET someone do something When asking someone to do something you can use • make when the person is obliged to do something or he/she can’t help doing it. The police made me sign a few documents. (I was obliged to do it) This song makes me feel sad. (I can’t help feeling this way) • let when the person is allowed to do something. Does your father let you use his car on Saturday nights? (are you allowed to use it?) • have when you simply ask him/her to do something with no obligation or permission implied. I usually have my secretary fix my appointments for the week. (I ask her to do this for me) • Make and Let can also be found in passive sentences. In this case their structure changes to: be made to + Base form The thieves were made to confess everything. be let to + Base form The children were let to run in the fields every afternoon.
1
Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verb in brackets using have + object + Past participle. 0 We have our bedrooms redecorated (redecorate) every two years. 1 Kate Middleton ________________ her wedding dress ________________ (design) by Sarah Burton. 2 ________________ you ever ________________ anything ________________ (steal) from your house? 3 I think we ________________ two pizzas ________________ (deliver) at home tonight. 4 I ________________ my hair ________________ (perm) tomorrow. 5 I can’t see well: I must ________________ my eyes ________________ (test). 6 We’re going to ________________ another garage ________________ (build) next to this for our son’s car.
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