Causatives: Have and Get

We use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us or for another person.

Have + object + past participle (have something done)

• I had my house cleaned. (This means, you made someone else clean your house either because you paid them, asked them, convinced them, or forced them to do it)
• John will have his house painted. (We don't focus on who did the action)

Get + object + past participle (get something done)
This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.

• The students get their essays checked.
• I'll get my hair cut next week.
• He got his washing machine fixed.


Then, If you want to talk about the person who you asked to do the thing for you. You can also use the construction 'subject + have + person + infinitive'.

• I had the electrician look at my broken light.
• The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.
• The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.

Finally, we can also use the construction 'get + someone + to + infinitive'. Again, this means the same, but in an informal way.

• She gets her son to do his homework by promising him ice cream when he's finished.
• I got the cleaner to clean under the cupboards.