Causative: have / get something done

B2 45 / 50

In short

Use have/get + object + past participle to say that you arrange for someone else to do a job for you: I had my car repaired (a garage did it). The focus is on the result, not on who did the work.

The rule

When you do something yourself, you use a normal verb: I cut my hair. When you arrange for another person to do it, you use the causative. The thing that receives the action comes between have/get and a past participle (the third form of the verb).

Pattern	Meaning
have + object + past participle	You arrange/cause it; neutral, slightly more formal
get + object + past participle	Same meaning; more informal and conversational

The person who actually does the work is usually unimportant, unknown, or obvious, so we leave them out. This makes the causative very useful for talking about services: repairs, haircuts, deliveries, medical tests, and so on.

If you do want to mention the person you arranged, use a different pattern with the base form (after have) or to-infinitive (after get):

Pattern	Example
have + person + base form	I had the plumber fix the leak.
get + person + to-infinitive	I got him to help me move.

There is also an “unfortunate event” meaning. With this sense you did not arrange anything; something bad simply happened to you: He had his wallet stolen = his wallet was stolen (from him). Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Forms & patterns

Tense	”Have” form	Example
Present simple	have/has + obj + pp	She has her nails done every month.
Present continuous	am/is/are having + obj + pp	We’re having the kitchen painted this week.
Past simple	had + obj + pp	They had their photos printed.
Present perfect	have/has had + obj + pp	I’ve had my eyes tested.
Future / modal	will/need to + have + obj + pp	I’ll have the documents checked.
Negative / question	use do/did with both have and get	Did you have it delivered? / How often do you get your car serviced?

Word order is fixed: the object comes before the past participle. Get behaves like an ordinary verb (does/did), and so does causative have in questions and negatives (Did you have it fixed?).

Examples

English	Note
I had my car repaired last week.	A garage did it; focus on the result, not the mechanic.
She’s having her hair cut tomorrow.	Present continuous for a fixed arrangement.
We had the house painted in the spring.	We arranged and paid; someone else painted.
I need to get my eyes tested.	Get = informal version; an optician will do it.
Can you get the photos printed today?	Asking someone to arrange a service.
I had the plumber fix the leak.	Have + person + base form: the doer is named.
I finally got him to help me.	Get + person + to-infinitive: persuading a person.
He had his wallet stolen on the train.	”Unfortunate event” sense: it happened to him.

Common mistakes

I had repaired my car (when a garage did it) -> I had my car repaired - put the object before the past participle; otherwise it looks like a past perfect “I did it earlier”.
She had cut her hair (meaning at a salon) -> She had her hair cut - object first, then participle; word order carries the meaning.
I had my car repair -> I had my car repaired - use the past participle, not the base form, in have something done.
I got him help me -> I got him to help me - after get + person, use the to-infinitive.
I had the plumber to fix it -> I had the plumber fix it - after have + person, use the base form (no to).

Tips

Quick test: if the object sits between the verb and the participle, it’s causative. Compare I cut my hair (yourself) with I had my hair cut (someone else).
The causative is basically a passive with have/get added, so it builds on the past participle you already know from the passive.
Get feels more spoken and casual; have is the safe default for writing and formal speech. The meaning is the same.
Use it for everyday services: get the car serviced, have a suit made, get a tooth filled, have the boiler checked.