Spoken Description

Descubre la estructura causativa Have/Get Something Done en inglés: cuándo usar Have o Get, diferencias de matiz y ejemplos prácticos para describir acciones realizadas por otros.

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Discover the causative Have/Get Something Done structure in English: when to use Have or Get, nuances of meaning, and practical examples describing actions done by others.

These expressions show that you arrange for someone else to do a task for you, so you don't do it yourself. They highlight asking, paying, or delegating an action.

Have Something Done

Use have something done to emphasize arranging or instructing that a service or repair is carried out by another person. It sounds a bit more formal and neutral.

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Get Something Done

Use get something done in more casual English; it often implies effort to make sure the task is completed. It can also suggest you benefit from the result.

Form

The pattern is have/get + object + past participle: you name the thing done, not the person who does it. This keeps focus on the arrangement, not the worker.

I need tomy car.

I need to get my car fixed.

Complete the sentence: 'I need to ___ my car ___ before the trip.' (get / fixed)

Examples

Negative and Questions

To form negatives and questions, put do/does/did before have/get. Use not (or contractions) to deny, and invert for questions. Keep the object and past participle in place.

Passive Meaning

Both expressions give a passive meaning because the action happens to the object and is done by someone else. You receive the service rather than doing it yourself.

Summary

Use have something done to sound neutral and formal about arranging a service, and get something done for casual speech with a sense of effort or result. Always follow the pattern with an object and past participle.

Suggested Reading

English File

English File by Unknown (Oxford University Press series)

Practical English Usage

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan

English Grammar in Use

English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy

English Grammar Workbook: Simple Grammar for Non-Native Speakers

English Grammar Workbook: Simple Grammar for Non-Native Speakers by SIMPLE English Language School

Essential Grammar in Use

Essential Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy

New Concept English

New Concept English by L. G. Alexander

Oxford Practice Grammar

Oxford Practice Grammar by Norman Coe, Mark Harrison & Ken Paterson

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus

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