What is the Causative Form?

The causative form means that the subject of the sentence causes someone else to do an action.

You do not perform the action yourself. Instead, you arrange for another person to do it for you.

• This is very common when talking about services you pay for.

How Do We Form the Causative with Have and Get?

The most common structure for the causative is have/get + object + past participle.

• The object is the thing that receives the action.
• The past participle describes the action performed on the object.

For example: I had my car repaired. (My car is the object, repaired is the past participle).

When Do We Use Causative Have?

We often use have to talk about arranging for a service.

• This form focuses on the fact that you paid or asked for the service.
• It is generally more neutral and formal than get.

Examples:

• I had my teeth cleaned at the dentist.
• She had her house painted last summer.

When Do We Use Causative Get?

Get is often used in more informal situations.

• It can imply that you made an effort or persuaded someone to do something.
• Sometimes, get emphasizes the completion of the task or the end result, rather than just the arrangement.

Examples:

• I need to get my computer fixed soon. (Focus on the computer being fixed.)
• He finally got his report finished by the deadline. (Focus on the report being finished.)

What is the Difference Between Have and Get?

Both have + object + past participle and get + object + past participle mean that someone else did something for you.

• Have is generally more neutral and formal.
• Get is more informal and can suggest effort, persuasion, or sometimes a slightly negative tone.
• In many everyday situations, they are interchangeable.

Example: I had my eyes checked. vs. I got my eyes checked. (Both are correct, get is slightly more casual.)

Causative Have/Get for Negative Experiences

We can use both have and get to describe bad things that happen to us.

• In these cases, the subject is often a victim, and the action is usually unexpected or unwanted.

Examples:

• He had his car stolen last night.
• She got her phone hacked.

This usage is common to express misfortune.

Examples

• I had my hair cut yesterday.
• She needs to get her car serviced.
• They had their house redecorated.
• We got the report translated into Spanish.
• He had his wallet stolen while on holiday.
• Can you get these documents printed for me?
• My neighbor had a new fence built.
• I'm going to get my eyes tested next week.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Spanish speakers often make these mistakes:

• Direct translation of reflexive verbs: Spanish speakers might directly translate "me corté el pelo" as "I cut my hair". This means *you* cut it yourself.
  • Incorrect: I cut my hair. (Unless you did it yourself!)
  • Correct: I had my hair cut. (A hairdresser cut it.)
• Forgetting the past participle: Using the base form of the verb instead of the past participle.
  • Incorrect: I had my car repair.
  • Correct: I had my car repaired.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main purpose of the causative form?

The main purpose is to show that you arranged for someone else to do an action for you, or that something happened to you because of someone else.

Is there a difference in meaning between have and get in the causative?

Yes, have is generally more formal and neutral, while get is more informal and can imply effort, persuasion, or a negative experience. However, in many contexts, they are interchangeable.

Can I use the causative form for negative experiences?

Absolutely! Both have and get are often used to describe unfortunate events, like I had my phone stolen or She got her wallet lost.

What is the structure for the causative with have or get?

The most common structure is subject + have/get + object + past participle. For example, We had the roof repaired.