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DESCRIBING PROBLEMS

with past participle as adjectives with nouns


The shirt is stained. It has a stain on the collar.
*The pen is leaking. It has a leak in it
The car is damaged in one side It has some damage on one side
The jacket lining is torn. It has a tear in it./There’s a hole in it.
The vase is cracked. There is a crack in it.
The glasses are scratched. There are a lot of scratches on it.

*Exception: is leaking is a present continuous form.

action taken (what needs to be done)


need + passive infinitive need + gerund
The car needs to be fixed. It needs fixing.
The chair needs to be repaired The chair needs repairing.
The walls need to be painted. They need painting.

Practice
Describe two problems with each thing, using past participle, or noun forms of the
following words; break, chip, dent, scratch, leak, tear, stain, crack. Then say what
needs to be done to fix them.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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GETTING THINGS DONE

CAUSATIVE
*Have / get + object + past participle = when we do not do something ourselves, but
we arrange for someone else to it for us.

They repaired their car. (they did it


themselves)
They had their car repaired. (they
arranged for someone to repair it)
I cut my hair yesterday. (I cut it myself)
I had my hair cut yesterday. (I went to
the hairdresser)
My computer is not working, I need to
get it fixed.

*The causative have has two structures which are similar in meaning to the
following ones:
active *passive
Sub/causative/agent /verb / object Sub/causative/ object /past
participle
I had Michael mend the car I had the car fixed
(I arranged for Michael to fix the car) (I arranged for the car to be fixed by
I caused him to mend it). someone).
*more commonly used
*We also use causative have when someone does something to us.
Bill had his money stolen by a thief.

*The three verbs usually used for the causative are get, have, and make.
*Get is possible instead of have, usually in informal spoken English.
I'm going to get my car fixed tomorrow.
Do you know where I could get a passport photo taken?
You can get one taken downtown.

*We can use have +subject + verb, to have someone do something, it implies
giving instructions or orders (more common in American English).
I had my assistant type the report.
I'll have my lawyer look into it.

*Besides have and get to mean convince someone to do something; make (as
a causative verb) expresses the idea that the person requires another person to
do something. It means forcing or strong convincing. Subject + Make + Person
+ Base Form of Verb
Peter made her do her homework.
The teacher made the students stay after class.

* These causative verbs can be in any verb tense:


a. I am making my students write the exam again next week because they did
so poorly.
b. I have been having my kids shovel the sidewalks after every snowfall.
c. I have to get my wife to pick me up after work because my car is in for
repairs.

Practice

Read the situations a – f and complete the sentences using the causative
(HAVE)
a. There is a problem with my car engine. It needs to be repaired by a
mechanic.
I need to …..
………………………………………………………………………………
b. One of the kitchen taps is leaking. My mother will call the plumber to fix it.
My mother……………………………………………………………………………
c. I’ve got a class until 8:30 pm and my favorite TV series starts at 7.30 pm. My
bother is going to record it for me. ……………………………………………….
………………………………………………….……………………………………...
d. Rhonda had to type a report, but she isn’t good at typing, so her sister type it
for her.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
e. The gardener has planted some roses in our garden. ………………………..
…………………………………………………………….………………………………
f. Miss Mc Clam isn’t available at the moment. A photographer is taking her
picture. ………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Practice
A foreigner is visiting Bogotá and he doesn’t know what things he can have
done.
Write down a conversation, tell him what he can have done. Read the clues
below and add more to the list.
Can I …
get a suit or dress made in a department store?
get free medical advice over the phone?
get shoes shined in a bus or train station?
buy a hot meal from a street vendor?
have groceries delivered to my home?
have shoes repaired on the street?
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CONVERSATION
F. Can I have meals delivered to my home here?
A: Well, you can have pizza or whatever food delivered from some restaurants.
You have to check in the phone book.

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