Thursday 1 January 2009

Have 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.
exercise 1 | exercise 2 | exercise 3 | exercise 4 | exercise 5
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