Question 1

What is the difference between "have someone do" and "get someone to do"?

Accepted Answer

"Have someone do" implies authority or instruction — the speaker has the power to tell the other person what to do: "The boss had her assistant prepare the report" (the boss gave an instruction). "Get someone to do" implies persuasion — the speaker had to convince, ask, or encourage the other person: "I got my flatmate to clean the kitchen" (I persuaded them, perhaps with some effort). The grammar also differs: "have" takes the bare infinitive (do, make, check), while "get" takes the to-infinitive (to do, to make, to check). In everyday English, "get someone to do" is far more common because most of our requests involve persuasion rather than authority.

Question 2

When do I use the bare infinitive after "have" with a person?

Accepted Answer

Use the bare infinitive (without "to") after "have" when someone in authority gives an instruction: "The doctor had the nurse take my blood pressure" — "take" is a bare infinitive. This pattern is most natural when the subject has authority over the person. While "I had my friend help me" is grammatically correct, it can imply you gave a direct instruction rather than asked a favour — if you want to emphasise persuasion, "I got my friend to help me" is a better fit. In professional English, "have someone do" is common: "I'll have my secretary arrange the meeting." Remember: "have" + person + bare infinitive typically signals instruction, "get" + person + to-infinitive typically signals persuasion. Cambridge C1 Advanced tests this distinction regularly.

Question 3

Can I combine causative structures with modal perfects?

Accepted Answer

Yes — causative structures work with modal perfects to express regret, criticism, or past possibility. "I should have had my brakes checked" means you regret not arranging the service. "You could have got someone to help you" means the option was available but you did not use it. With person + infinitive, the structure becomes: "I should have got them to reconsider their decision" (regret about not persuading them). The modal perfect goes before "have" or "get": "She might have had the report proofread" (past possibility about a service). These complex combinations are tested in Cambridge C1 Advanced and demonstrate a high level of grammatical flexibility.

Advanced Causative Transformation Exercises

Quick Rule

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Causative Error Correction

Transformation Easy

Transformation Intermediate

-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect