We use have something done when we arrange for someone else to do a job for us – usually a service. The object comes between “have” and the past participle. It can also describe an unpleasant event that happened to us (He had his bag stolen).
Form
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| have + object + past participle | I had my hair cut. |
| get + object + past participle (informal) | I got my car repaired. |
| questions and negatives with do | Did you have it fixed? I didn't have it checked. |
When to use it
- Services: She has her nails done every week.
- Jobs we pay for: We're having the roof repaired.
- Bad experiences: I had my phone stolen on holiday.
- Any tense: I will have it checked. I have just had it cleaned.
Examples
- I had my hair cut yesterday.
- We are having the house painted.
- She had her phone repaired.
- Where do you have your car serviced?
- I need to get my eyes tested.
- He had his wallet stolen.
Common mistakes
- The active order: I cut my hair (I did it myself) vs I had my hair cut (someone else did).
- The base verb: I had my car repair → repaired.
- Wrong word order: I had cut my hair (past perfect) → I had my hair cut.