Have vs Get Comparison — Intermediate Exercises

The basic rule stays the same in every tense — "have" is more formal and "get" is more informal. However, some tenses make "get" sound more natural. In the "going to" future, "I'm going to get my car fixed" is much more common than "I'm going to have my car fixed" in everyday speech. In the present continuous, both sound natural: "I'm having my nails done" and "I'm getting my nails done." In the present perfect, "have had" can sound repetitive ("I have had my car serviced"), so some speakers prefer "got": "I've got my car serviced." The formality difference is always there, but natural speech patterns sometimes favour one over the other.

"Have" is almost always the better choice for formal writing. In business emails, use "We had the premises inspected" rather than "We got the premises inspected." In academic essays, reports, and official letters, "have" sounds more professional and is expected. "Get" is fine for informal writing such as text messages, personal emails, and social media: "Just got my hair done!" In Cambridge B2 First writing tasks, use "have" in formal letters and reports, but "get" is acceptable in informal emails and articles. Matching the register to the writing context shows the examiner that you understand formality levels in English.

Yes — mixing "have" and "get" in the same piece of writing is perfectly natural and can actually improve your style. In a single paragraph, you might write: "I had my car serviced last week, but I still need to get the tyres replaced." Using both avoids repetition and sounds more natural than using the same verb throughout. The key is consistency of register: if you are writing formally, lean towards "have" but occasionally use "get" for variety. If you are writing informally, lean towards "get" with occasional "have." Native speakers mix the two forms constantly without thinking about it. For exams, varying your language shows a wider vocabulary range.