Grammar Note: Causative “Have”

Causative “Have”

Difference between doing something yourself and having it done

1. Meaning

We use causative have to say that someone else does something for us. We don’t do the action ourselves – we arrange it or tell someone to do it.

Compare:
I cut my hair. = I do it myself.
I have my hair cut. = a hairdresser cuts it for me.

2. Forms

1. Have + object + past participle (service – focus on the result)

   I had my hair cut. (A hairdresser cut it.)

   She is having her car repaired.

   We had the report rewritten.

2. Have + person + bare infinitive (instruction – you tell someone)

   I had the plumber check the pipes.

   The teacher had the students redo the exercise.

   They had the technician install the software.

3. Do it yourself (normal active)

   I drive my children to school everyday.

   She repaired her car herself.

3. Quick Comparison

Do it yourself: I painted the room.

Arrange a service: I had the room painted.

Instruct someone: I had the assistant send the emails.

4. Multiple-choice Exercise

Choose the best option to complete each sentence. Think about who does the action: the subject or another person.

1. A mechanic will repair my brakes tomorrow. I will…

a) repair my brakes myself tomorrow. b) have my brakes repaired tomorrow. c) have repaired my brakes tomorrow.

2. I told my assistant to book the flights. I…

a) had my flights booked myself. b) had my assistant to book the flights. c) had my assistant book the flights.

3. She pays a professional cleaner every week. She…

a) has her house cleaned every week. b) has cleaned her house every week. c) has the cleaner to clean her house every week.

4. The manager told the IT team to install the new software. The manager…

a) had the software installed himself. b) had the IT team install the new software. c) had the IT team to installing the new software.

5. A dentist cleaned my teeth yesterday. Yesterday I…

a) cleaned my teeth myself. b) have my teeth clean. c) had my teeth cleaned.