The Causative

Look at these sentences:

I have my car repaired once a year.

They have their house decorated every three years.

When somebody does something for us we use the causative.

Look at the construction:

Present simple

Positive

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

 I

have

my hair

cut

 every 2 months.

Negative

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

 I

don’t have

my hair

cut

 every 2 months.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Do

you

have your hair cut

 twice a month?

Past simple

Positive

 Subject

 to have something past participle
 I had my hair cut last month.

Negative

 Subject

to have

something

past participle
 I didn’t have my hair cut last month.

Question
 Question word auxiliary subject have something done
Did you have your hair cut last month?

Future with going to

Positive

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

‘m going to have

my hair

cut

 next month.

Negative

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

‘m not going to have

my hair

cut

 next month.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Are

you

going to have your hair cut

 next month?

Future with will

Positive

 Subject

 to have something past participle

  I

will have

my hair

cut

 next month.

Negative

 Subject

 to have something past participle

  I

won’t have

my hair

cut

 next month.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Will

you

have your hair cut

 next month?

Present Perfect

Positive

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

have had

my hair

cut.

Negative

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

haven’t had

my hair

cut.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Have

you

had your hair cut?

Past Perfect

Positive

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

had had

my hair

cut.

Negative

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

hadn’t had

my hair

cut.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Had

you

had your hair cut?

Future Perfect

Positive

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

will have had

my hair

cut

 by next Saturday.

Negative

 Subject

to have

something

past participle

  I

won’t have had

my hair

cut

 by next Saturday.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Will

you

have had your hair cut

 by next Saturday?

Modal verbs

Positive

 Subject

modal verb

have

something

past participle

  I

would

have

my hair

cut.
  She

should

have

her jacket

cleaned.

Negative

 Subject

modal verb

to have

something

past participle

  I

wouldn’t

have

my hair

cut.

  She

shouldn’t

have

her jacket

cleaned.

Question

 Question word

auxiliary

subject

have something done

Would

you

have your hair cut?

Should

she

have her hair cut?
Category: Grammar Reference