Causative *Have / Get Something Done*
The causative expresses that the subject arranged for someone else to do the action — they didn’t do it themselves. We had the office repainted last summer (we didn’t paint it; we arranged it). I need to get my laptop fixed (I’m not fixing it; I’ll arrange repair). Both forms (have + object + past participle and get + object + past participle) carry the same meaning, with get sounding more informal and conversational. The contrast with the regular passive is critical: The office was repainted focuses on the action; We had the office repainted focuses on arranging for someone else to do it.
This worksheet drills B2 use of the causative in workplace and consumer contexts, with explicit contrast against the regular passive.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- Grammar Box with both forms (have and get), the register difference (formal vs informal), and the passive-vs-causative comparison
- Gap-fill: complete sentences with have/get + object + past participle in workplace and everyday contexts
- Discrimination task: choose between regular passive and causative based on the meaning intended
- Production: write five things you have arranged to have done in the past month
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes on the negative and question forms (I haven’t had…, Have you had…?)
Common mistakes addressed: wrong word order (I had repaired my laptop meaning I had my laptop repaired), missing past participle (I had my laptop repair), and confusion with the regular passive (My laptop was repaired used where I had my laptop repaired is meant).
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B2, in upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. The causative is a recurring task in Cambridge B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) key-word transformations. Part of the Passive & Causative collection — the natural sibling is Passive Voice: All Tenses, which sets up the regular passive that the causative builds on.
Every worksheet you'll ever need — ready to teach.
Stop building from scratch. 324 classroom-ready worksheets, every level, with answer keys and teacher notes on every sheet.
