This document provides information about using "have something done" constructions in English to express passive meaning. It begins by explaining that "have something done" uses active subjects and implies someone else will perform the action. Examples are given like "I have my business taken care of" meaning someone else takes care of the business. Several uses of this construction are outlined, including when we hire someone to do something for us like getting hair cut or a house painted. It can also refer to unwanted events like having a car stolen. Different tenses can be used as long as the correct form of "have" is used. Exercises are provided to practice using this passive construction.

1. UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE
CHIMBORAZO
FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACION, HUMANAS Y
TECNOLOGIAS
CARRERA DE IDIOMAS
GRAMMAR VI
Topic:
Have/Get Something Done
Darío Amancha
Ronald Marroquín
2015-2016

2. "HAVE SOMETHING DONE"
You can form sentences that are passive in meaning but not in form by using the
verb to get or the verb to have in place of the verb to be. These constructions often describe
situations where we want someone else to do something for us or where we are going to
hire someone else to do something for us. The subject is active, but he is only doing the
"getting". It is the unnamed person who is gotten who will perform the action of the main
verb in the sentence. That second person is not explicit in the sentence when the sentence
has a passive meaning. We are more interested in the result of the activity than in the
person that performs the activity.
One of the ways we use the passive voice is to talk about an action without saying
who did it.
For example, we can see this person relaxing because someone else is taking care of his
problems! How can we express this meaning with the passive voice?
STRUCTURE
There is a special passive construction with have:
have + something (the object) + past participle

3. Example: I have my business taken care of.
(Somebody is taking care of my business.)
Another example: He has his dog walked.
(Somebody walks his dog.)
 In this construction, like in all passive sentences, we need to use the past participle.
 Remember that for regular verbs, this is the same as the simple past.
 However, for irregular verbs, the past participle can be different!
 Be sure to review them and use the correct form of the verb in passive
constructions.
We can use this construction in the following cases
We make someone else do something for us, or we pay someone else to do
something for us.
First, let's talk about when someone else does something that we ask of them.
Example:
Jeremy's car is in terrible condition! He is going to have his car fixed. He hopes it won't be
too expensive!
This means that Jeremy will not do the work himself. He will pay a professional
mechanic to do the work for him. He will have the work done to his car.

4. Examples:
 The living room in Terry's new house is a terrible salmon pink color. She wants
to have it painted before she moves in.
 Lizzy can't talk right now. She's having her hair cut by the barber at the moment.
 I need to go to the dentist today to have a tooth pulled. I hope it's very fast!
 Will you have your party catered, or are you going to cook all the food yourself?
 Emily had her dress sewn by a professional seamstress. She wanted it to look
perfect for her special day!
Examples
 I must get my hair cut.
 I must have my hair cut.
 When are you going to get that window mended?
 We're having the house painted.
This type of construction can refer to the completion of an activity, especially if a time
expression is used.
Examples
 We'll get the work done as soon as possible.

5.  I'll get those letters typed before lunchtime.
 She said she'd have my lunch delivered by noon.
 You should have your roof repaired before next winter.
If the verb refers to something unwanted, it has the same meaning as a passive sentence.
Examples
 Jim had his car stolen last night.
 Jim's car was stolen.
 They had their roof blown off in the storm.
 Their roof was blown off in the storm.
Something negative happens and we have no control over it (something bad happens to
us).
We can use this construction in any of the English verb tenses. All we need to do is use
the correct form of have depending on the verb tense we are using. The rest of the
construction (object + past participle) remains exactly the same.
Now, let's look at the second meaning of have + object + past participle.
We can also use this construction when something negative happens to us when we
don't expect it or want it.
Example:
 The homeowner had all his money stolen! The police still haven't caught the
mysterious robber.

6.  The owner of the money did not want it to be stolen. This was a negative experience
that this person suffered.
More examples:
 The children are all upset because they had their toys taken away. They wanted to
keep playing!
 The event was supposed to be outside, but look at all this rain! The organizer, Ms.
Huffington, is terribly upset because she's had her big event ruined.
 Bruno is still not back at work. He says he's had his heart broken! It's so terrible that
he's going through that divorce.
 Phil doesn't want to come back to class. He had his feelings hurt last week, and he
just isn't enthusiastic about the subject anymore.
 Poor Phil! He suffered a negative experience that he did not expect! He certainly
didn't want to be teased!

7. These constructions can seem confusing at first, but with practice, you'll feel
comfortable with them. If you're still not sure how to use the passive voice, look at
more examples. And keep on practicing!
GET SOMETHING DONE
If you 'have something done', you get somebody else to do something for you.
 I'm going to have my hair cut.
 She's having her house redecorated.
 I'm having a copy of the report sent to you
 In informal English, we can replace 'have' by 'get'.
 We're getting a new telephone system installed.
 They will be getting the system repaired as quickly as they can.
 I got the bill sent direct to the company.
 We can also use 'have/got something done' in situations where something bad has
happened to people or their possessions. This is not something they wanted to
happen.
 John had all his money stolen from his hotel bedroom.
 We had our car damaged by a falling tree.
 I got my nose broken playing rugby.

8. Exercises
Complete the sentences and make clear that the people don't / didn't do it themselves.
 Yesterday, (I / cut / my hair) ……………………………………….
 Every Friday, (Joe / wash / his car)……………………………….
 Tomorrow, (she / repair / her shower)………………………………….
 Each Saturday, (we / deliver / a pizza)……………………….to our home.
 Last year, (Bob / clean / his house)…………………………….by a charwoman.
 As Phil had a broken arm, (he / type / his texts)……………………..by his
secretary.
 (I / pick up / the goods)…………………………………….tomorrow in the
afternoon.
 (we / redecorate / our walls)………………………………….last summer.
 Whenever Clara is staying at this hotel, (she / carry / her bags)……………...into her
room.
 (we / organise / our last party)…………………………..by professionals.
 We usually …………………………………… (the bedrooms / redecorate) every
two years.
 Sarah isn't making her own wedding dress, she ……………………………………..
(it / make) by a designer in Italy.
 ………………………………………………. (you / ever/ anything / steal) from
your house?
 He didn't fix his car himself, he ……………………. (it / fix) at the garage.
 Your hair is too long. You need ………………………. (it / cut).
 I'm going to do my food shopping online and I
…………………………………….(the food / deliver) to my house.

9. Answers
Yesterday, I had my hair cut.
Every Friday, Joe has his car washed.
Tomorrow, she is going to have her shower repaired.
Each Saturday, we have a pizza delivered to our home.
Last year, Bob had his house cleaned by a charwoman.
As Phil had a broken arm, he had his texts typed by his secretary.
I will have the goods picked up tomorrow in the afternoon.
We had our walls redecorated last summer.
Whenever Clara is staying at this hotel, she has her bags carried into her room.
We had our last party organized by professionals.
We usually have the bedrooms redecorated (the bedrooms / redecorate) every two years.
Sarah isn't making her own wedding dress, she is having it made (it / make) by a designer
in Italy.
Have you ever had anything stolen (you / ever/ anything / steal) from your house?
He didn't fix his car himself, he had it fixed (it / fix) at the garage.
Your hair is too long. You need to have it cut (it / cut).
I'm going to do my food shopping online and I am going to have the food delivered (the
food / deliver) to my house.

10. UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CHIMBORAZO
CARREA DE IDIOMAS
GRAMMAR TEST
Name: …………………………
Date: ………………………………….
Objective: These tests take an objective that students learn and put in practices the
knowledge.
Instruction: Fill the blanks with the correct form in passive voice. Each items take a value
of 1 point.
1. We ………………………………………………. (the house/paint) at the moment.
2. I lost my key. I will have to…………………………………….(another key/make).
3. When was the last time you……………………………………….(your hair/cut) ?
4. ………………………………………….(you/a newspaper/deliver) to your house
every day, or do you go out and buy one ?
5. What are those workmen doing in your garden ? ...Oh, we
………………………..(a garage/build).
6. This coat is dirty. I must ……………………………………………..(it/clean).
7. If you want to wear earrings, why don't you
…………………………………….(your ears/pierce)?
8. Why did you go to the cleaner's ? ...I needed ………………………………….(my
jacket /clean).
9. If you can't see properly, you should ……………………………… (your eyes /
test).
10. Are they going to paint the kitchen themselves, or
…………………………………….. (it / paint)?
SIGNATURE ……………………

11. Answers
1. We are having the house painted (the house/paint) at the moment.
2. I lost my key. I will have to have another key made (another key/make).
3. When was the last time you had your hair cut (your hair/cut)?
4. Do you have a newspaper delivered (you/a newspaper/deliver) to your house
every day, or do you go out and buy one?
5. What are those workmen doing in your garden? ...Oh, we are having a garage
built (a garage/build).
6. This coat is dirty. I must have it cleaned (it/clean).
7. If you want to wear earrings, why don't you have your ears pierced (your
ears/pierce)?
8. 8Why did you go to the cleaner’s? ...I needed to have my jacket cleaned (my
jacket /clean).
9. If you can't see properly, you should have your eyes tested(your eyes / test).
10. Are they going to paint the kitchen themselves, or are they going to have it
painted (it / paint)?

12. Biblioghapy:
Really-Learn-English.(2010-2015). Retrieved11de 02 de 2015, de http://www.really-learn-
english.com/have-something-done.html
Edufind.(2015). Retrieved1102, 2015, fromhttp://www.edufind.com/english-
grammar/alternative-ways-form-passive-voice/
Ego4u.(2015). Retrieved02de 11 de 2015, de https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-
up/grammar/participles/exercises?08
Tolearnenglish.(2015). Retrieved02de 11 de 2015, de
http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-76121.php
Brown,P. (2015). Englishgrammarsecrets.Retrieved1102, 2015, from
http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/havesomethingdone/menu.php