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 Present perfect Past simple Future simple

Have We’re having I’ve just had Why did you have Will the City Council have

Object the house my hair

the fence the road

Past participle redecorated this week. cut. Do you like it? painted red? 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.

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.

Put a tick (3) in the box next to the correct alternative in each of these sentences. 1 Since I have very little time, once a week A I have my flat cleaned. B I clean my flat. 2 Every time I have a shower I A have my hair washed. B wash my hair. 3 There’s a repairman in the living room because A we’re installing a new Internet connection. B we’re having a new Internet connection installed. 4 During the hailstorm lots of people A damaged their cars. B got their cars damaged. 5 The police A confiscated our passports. B had our passports confiscated. 6 For my daughter’s graduation day A I’m doing my hair. B I’m having my hair done.

First Choose A, B, C or D to complete the sentences. 1 I ___ this T-shirt printed at the copy shop. A made B got 2 She’ll ___ the letter translated by a Chinese man. A have B make 3 Lisa ___ a lady clean the windows once a month. A gets B lets 4 This joke ___ me laugh every time I hear it. A lets B has 5 You can ___ the neighbour fix the vacuum cleaner. A make B get 6 That boy’s never been ___ tidy his room. He’s so spoilt. A let B let to 7 I ___ my watch repaired yesterday. Now it’s working. A had B had to 8 You must ___ your teacher explain this rule again. A get B have

C let D have C got D let C has D makes C makes D gets C let D have C made to D made C let D got to C make D let

First Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first using the word in brackets. You must use between 2 and 5 words. 1 They told me to put up my hands. (made) They __________________________ up my hands. 2 I wasn’t allowed to go out at night. (let) They __________________________ out at night. 3 Your tyres should be changed every 2 years. (changed) You should _______________ every 2 years. 4 She’ll feel guilty if they cry. (her) Seeing them cry ______________________guilty. 5 Someone stole my bike last night. (got) I _______________________________ last night. 6 His car was washed last week (washed) He _____________________________ last week. 7 They all had to give back their cards. (made) They were __________________ back their cards. 8 I’m sure they’ll let you come here. (allowed) I’m sure ________________________ come here.

28 Janet has organised an international gourmet dinner party with a few friends from all over the world: listen to the conversation between her and Ada and write the different plates of foods they mention next to the people who made them.

curry rice ginger and clam soup mushroom egg rolls sweet sour pork Thai shrimp tiramisu

Ada: Janet: Rupert: Kimiko: Janet’s mother: Xiao-Jia: