Have something done, Get something done
Have + Past Participle: I had my car repaired yesterday …
I HAVE SOMETHING DONE :
Used to say that you get somebody else to do something for you:
We find a solution with somebody, who do the work for us. (Cool!)
Ex: I’m going to have my hair cut. => Somebody is going to cut my hair.
Peter had an accident with his car. Somebody brought the car to the garage.
Peter had the car repaired yesterday.
=> Peter didn’t repaired the car himself. It’s somebody else who repaired the car !
Peter repaired his car. # Peter had his car repaired. (by somebody else).
(He has done it himself) # (He asked somebody to do it … for him).
Sandra made a dress for her party. # Sandra had her wedding’s dress made by her sister.
Sandra made her curtains herself. # Sandra had her curtains made by her mother.
Mr Fox is cutting his hair (himself) # Mr Fox is having his hair cut (by the hairdresser).
Have you done your maths exercise?
Yes Mum, I’ve done it.(by myself)
Yes Mum, I had my maths exercises done. (by Stephan)
GET SOMETHING DONE = have something done (idem).
In informal english, we can replace « HAVE » by « GET »:
When are you going to get your math exercise done?
You’ll get a new car paid (by the insurance company).
He‘s getting a new phone offered (by his boss).
OTHER MEANINGS: we didn’t want this bad situation.
Something bad has happened to somebody/something, and we didn’t want it.
I had my wallet stolen in the subway, while I was buying the tickets!
My wife had her car damaged on the highway.
ABOUT, HAVE and GET DONE:
- 051: About
- 051: Have something done, Get something done