GRAMMAR

Have something done

and actually mean that you are going to the barber's or hairdresser's, where a profess
will actually do the cutting.
In English, if you say "I am going to cut my hair" it means that you will sit down in
a mirror with the scissors and do it yourself.

When we wish to talk about arranging for things to be done by other people, we use the
structure to have something done:
I am going to have my hair cut.
I have my car serviced every two months.
We had the house redecorated over the summer.
It is also possible to use the verb get instead of have:
I am going to get my hair cut.
I get my car serviced every two months.
We got the house redecorated over the summer.

have something done

Complete the sentences and make clear that the people don't / didn't do
it themselves. (The first sentence is given as an example.)
I had my hair cut

1.

Yesterday, (I / cut / my hair)

2.

Every Friday, (Joe / wash / his car)

3.

Tomorrow, (she / repair / her shower)

4.

Each Saturday, (we / deliver / a pizza)

5.

Last year, (Bob / clean / his house)

6.

7.

.
.
.
to our home.
by a charwoman.

As Phil had a broken arm, (he / type / his texts)

his secretary.
(I / pick up / the goods)

by

tomorrow in the afternoon.

8.

(we / redecorate / our walls)

last summer.

9.

Whenever Clara is staying at this hotel, (she / carry / her bags)

into her room.

10.

(we / organise / our last party)

by professionals.

Complete the sentences and make clear that the people don't / didn't do
it themselves. (The first sentence is given as an example.)
1.

Yesterday, I had my hair cut.

2.

Every Friday, Joe has his car washed.

3.

Tomorrow, she is going to have her shower repaired.

4.

Each Saturday, we have a pizza delivered to our home.

5.

Last year, Bob had his house cleaned by a charwoman.

6.

As Phil had a broken arm, he had his texts typed by his secretary.

7.

I will have the goods picked up tomorrow in the afternoon.

8.

We had our walls redecorated last summer.

9.

Whenever Clara is staying at this hotel, she has her bags carried
into her room.

10.

We had our last party organised by professionals.

THE PASSIVE VOICE

GET / HAVE SOMETHING DONE
This construction is passive in meaning. It may describe situations
where we want someone else to do something for us.
Examples:
a. I must get / have my hair cut.
b. When are you going to get that window mended?
c. We're having the house painted.
If the verb refers to something negative or unwanted, it has the same
meaning as a passive sentence:
d. Jim had his car stolen last night. (= Jim's car was stolen)
e. They had their roof blown off in the storm. (= Their roof was blown
off in the storm)
The construction can refer to the completion of an activity, especially
if a time expression is used:
f. We'll get the work done as soon as possible.
g. I'll get those letters typed before lunchtime.

In all these sentences, we are more interested in the result of the

activity than in the person or object that performs the activity.
'X' NEEDS DOING
In the same way, this construction has a passive meaning. The important
thing in our minds is the person or thing that will experience the
action, e.g.
a. The ceiling needs painting (= the ceiling needs to be painted)
b. My hair needs cutting (= my hair needs to be cut)

Have something done

Catherine:
Hi Raffaella! That's pretty good! Elena's going to make 2 improvements
to the office.
First, she's having the walls painted, and second, she's going to have
the carpets
cleaned.
We use 'have' with a noun and a past participle when we arrange for
somebody to
make some kind of improvement to something for us. Elena has arranged
for
somebody to clean the carpets next week, so she says:
Elena: I'm going to have the carpets cleaned tomorrow
She uses the future form of have thats going to have - with a noun
the
carpets and the past participle of clean which is cleaned.
There are a couple of things to remember when you use this structure.
First, you can
show tense by changing the form of 'have'. So, next week when Elena's
carpets are
nice and clean, she can say:
Elena: I have just had the carpets cleaned.
And a few days later she could say:
Elena: I had the carpets cleaned last week.
Secondly, you don't have to say who is going to do it. Elena didn't say:
Elena: I'm going to have the walls painted by the painters.
It's enough to say: Corporation 2007
Elena: I'm going to have the walls painted.
And finally, you can say 'get' instead of 'have' - the meaning is
exactly the same, but
it's a little more informal. So Elena could say to her friend:
I'm getting the walls painted this afternoon.
Ok, that's all from me. Good luck with your grammar challenge!
Practice
Grammar Challenge
Have something done practice
Page 2 of 6
bbclearningenglish.com
Grammar Challenge have something done
Exercise 1:
Match the beginnings of the sentences to the correct endings.

1. My car is making strange noises

a. so I will have to have my
photograph taken.
2. I'm going to a wedding next
week
b. I must get it cut.
3. My hair looks horrible c. so I'm going to have my suit drycleaned.
4. My skirt is too long
d. since I had it repaired.
5. I need a new passport
e. I'd better get it serviced.
6. This room looks terrible f. we must have it painted.
7. Do you like my suit?... g. I need to get it taken up.
8. I can't give you the document
personally
h. I had it made for me last year.
9. My computer has been working
beautifully
i. I will have it delivered.

Exercise 2:
Read the sentence and choose the one option a-d which best fits the
space.
1. The garden is completely overgrown. I should really
a. have it weeded
b. have it weeding
c. having it weeding
d. get it weeding
2. My neighbour is having a new garden wall
a. build
b. building
c. built
d. builded
3. The windows were broken in the storm. - straight away.
a. had we fixed them
b. we had fixed them
c. we them had fixed
d. we had them fixed
4. I had to after I had my purse stolen.
a. get the locks changed
b. get the locks change
c. get the locks changing
d. get changed the locks
Exercise 3: Questions
Choose the 5 words which complete each question:
1. You look nice!
Have ?
cut
hair
had
you
have
cutted your
2. Your car is filthy!

Are you going will you do it yourself?

get
to
do
or
cleaned
it
need
3. I wanted to ask you about your library card.
yet?
it
you
renewed
renewing
have
ever
had
4. Your jacket doesn't fit you properly.
- Why ?
altered
get
you
fit
don't
it
do
5. A: I met a very famous film star yesterday.
B: Really? Did with him?
have
took
your
taken do
you
photograph

Grammar Challenge have something done

Answers
Exercise 1: Matching
Match the beginnings of the sentences to the correct endings.
1. My car is making strange noises
e. I'd better get it serviced.
2. I'm going to a wedding next
week
c. so I'm going to have my suit drycleaned.
3. My hair looks horrible b. I must get it cut.
4. My skirt is too long
g. I need to get it taken up.
5. I need a new passport
a. so I will have to have my
photograph taken.
6. This room looks terrible f. we must have it painted.
7. Do you like my suit? ... h. I had it made for me last year.
8. I can't give you the document
personally
i. I will have it delivered.
9. My computer has been working

beautifully
d. since I had it repaired.
Exercise 2:
Read the sentence and choose the one option a-d which best fits the
space.
1. The garden is completely overgrown. I should really
a. have it weeded Correct you have used the correct form of 'have
something done'.
b. have it weeding Wrong you need an ed verb form, not an ing
form.
c. having it weeding Wrong both verbs are in the wrong form.
d. get it weeding Wrong you need an ed verb form, not an ing form.
2. My neighbour is having a new garden wall
a. build - Wrong you need to use the past participle.
b. building - Wrong you need to use the past participle.
c. built Correct you have used the correct form of 'have something
done'.
d. builded - Wrong this is not the past participle of 'build'.
3. The windows were broken in the storm. - straight away.
a. had we fixed them - Wrong the subject is in the wrong place.
b. we had fixed them Wrong the object is in the wrong place.
c. we them had fixed Wrong the object is in the wrong place.
d. we had them fixed Correct you have used the correct form of 'have
something done'.
4. I had to after I had my purse stolen.
a. get the locks changed Correct you have used the correct form of
'have
something done'.
b. get the locks change - Wrong this is not the past participle of
'change'.
c. get the locks changing Wrong - this is not the past participle of
'change'.
d. get changed the locks Wrong - the object is in the wrong place.
Exercise 3: Questions
Choose the 5 words which complete each question:
1. You look nice!
Have you had your hair cut?
2. Your car is filthy!
Are you going to get it cleaned or will you do it yourself?
3. I wanted to ask you about your library card.
Have you had it renewed yet?
4. Your jacket doesn't fit you properly.
Why don't you get it altered?
5. A: I met a very famous film star yesterday.
B: Really? Did you have your photograph taken with him?

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