Have something done

1. Have something done
a) I cut my hair
b) I have my hair cut
a) I cut my hair
b) I have my hair cut

2. Have something done
Have / has + (noun) + participle
WE DON’T DO the action ourselves, we get/pay/entrust somebody else to
do it for us.
Also used when SOMETHING unpleasant happened to us.
The most important thing is the action; the person who does the action
(agent or doer) is unknown or unnecessary.

3. I don’t cut my hair
I have it cut

4. Someone repairs Angel’s shoes
Angel’s doesn’t repair his shoes

5. Ángel has his shoes repaired

6. We don’t clean the windows
Someone cleans our windows

7. We have the windows cleaned

8. The children didn’t cook the food
The cooks cooked the children’s
food

9. The children had the food
cooked

10. Messy didn’t cut the grass
Someone cut Messi’s grass

11. Messy had the grass cut

12. Felipe isn’t making the chairs
The carpenter is making some
chairs for Felipe.

13. Felipe is having the chairs made

14. We aren’t installing the software

15. We are having the software
installed

16. The groom hasn’t made his suit
A tailor has made the groom’s
suit.

17. The groom has had his suit
made

18. We haven’t washed the car

19. We have had the car washed

20. He won’t fix the computer
A technician will fix his
computer

21. He’ll have his computer fixed

22. The businessman won’t repair
his watch
A watchmaker will repair the
businessman’s watch

23. The businessman will have his
watch repaired

24. We aren’t going to take the
photos

25. We are going to have the
photos taken

26. She is not going to take the
shopping home
Her shopping is going to
be taken home

27. She is going to have the
shopping taken home

28. We weren’t painting the house
A painter was painting the
house for us.

29. We were having the house
painted

30. She may not test her eyes
herself

31. She may have her eyes tested

32. Careful, we use “have sth done”
when unpleasant or bad things
happen to us
I had 50 euros
stolen yesterday
He had his leg broken
while playing basket

33. CAUSATIVE FORM:
“HAVE SOMETHING
DONE”
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Present Simple I cut my hair myself. I have my hair cut.
Present Continuous I am cutting my hair myself. I am having my hair cut.
Past Simple I cut my hair myself. (LAST MONTH) I had my hair cut.
Past Continuous I was cutting my hair myself. I was having my hair cut.
Present Perfect I have cut my hair myself. I have had my hair cut.
Past Perfect I had cut my hair myself. I had had my hair cut.
Future Simple I will cut my hair myself. I will have my hair cut.
Future be going to I am going to cut my hair myself. I am going to have my hair cut.
Modal I should cut my hair myself. I should have my hair cut.
Modal Perfect I should have cut my hair myself. I should have had my hair cut.