Causative Have and Get

Causative Have and Get in English (Clear Explanation + Real Examples)

Some grammar points are useful.

Others are everyday survival English.

Causative have and get belong firmly to the second group.

You use them when:

• someone cuts your hair
• a mechanic fixes your car
• a technician repairs your phone
• something bad happens to you (and you don’t want to name who did it)

In other words: real life.

Let’s make this grammar point simple, memorable, and natural.

What is the causative?

We use the causative when we arrange for someone else to do something for us.

Compare:

 I painted my house.

→ I did it myself.

 I had my house painted.

→ Someone else did it for me.

That’s the key idea.

Basic structure (the heart of it)

have / get + object + past participle

I had my hair cut.

She got her phone repaired.

We are having the kitchen renovated.

Notice:

• the doer is not mentioned
• the focus is on the result, not who did it

This is why the causative feels similar to the passive.

Everyday uses of the causative

Services you arrange

I’m having my hair cut at eleven.

David had his car fixed yesterday.

We get our groceries delivered every week.

Routine or professional services

I have my eyes checked once a year.

They have their car serviced regularly.

She gets her nails done before every trip.

Unfortunate events (no agent mentioned)

Laura had her wallet stolen on public transport.

We had our car damaged in the car park.

He had his phone taken at the concert.

This use is extremely common in news, storytelling, and everyday conversation.

Causative have in different tenses

Present Simple

I have my teeth checked twice a year.

He has his photos taken professionally.

Present Continuous

We are having the house decorated before Christmas.

She is having her laptop repaired today.

Past Simple

They had their house broken into last weekend.

I had my leg injured while skiing.

Present Perfect

I’ve had my portrait taken by a local artist.

She has had her eyes tested recently.

Going to

We’re going to have the electricity checked.

He’s going to have his piano tuned.

Infinitive

I’d like to have my steak cooked well.

They want to have their house redesigned.

Causative get (more conversational)

In spoken English, get is extremely common and sounds slightly more informal.

Structure:

get + object + past participle

When are you going to get your car fixed?

We got our carpets cleaned last weekend.

She’s getting her garage built.

Important rule

We do not use get causative in the present perfect.

❌ She’s got her hair cut.

✔️ She got her hair cut.

Have or get – what’s the difference?

In Cambridge exams, both are excellent — just match the tone.

Common mistakes to avoid

❌ I had cut my hair.

✔️ I had my hair cut.

❌ She got repaired her phone.

✔️ She got her phone repaired.

❌ He’s got his car fixed last week.

✔️ He got his car fixed last week.

Final thought

Causative have and get are not “advanced grammar”.

They are grown-up English — the English of haircuts, bills, repairs, services, and small disasters.

And once you notice them, you’ll hear them everywhere.

Download the causative have and get exercise worksheet in PDF here

Learn about causative verbs let, make, have, get help here and download the exercise in PDF

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