How to use the passive causative in English | Learn English with Cambridge

Hi everyone, I'm George.

Today we're going to learn the passive causative,

but before I begin, don’t forget to like the video

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First of all, how do we use the passive causative?

And now it's time to talk about my plan.

Boss, your hair looks lovely.

Oh, thank you.

I got my hair cut yesterday.

How about your shoes?

Are they new?

No, I just got them polished.

Your moustache looks really good too.

Thank you, I had it trimmed this morning.

And what a great suit.

Thanks, I had it made for me.

It's the perfect fit.

Look at these sentences.

I got my hair cut.

I got my shoes polished.

I had my moustache trimmed.

I didn't do any of these things, someone did them for me

as a service.

For example, you wouldn't say I cut my hair unless you actually

cut your hair yourself.

You would say, I got my hair cut,

which is one of the most frequently used examples

of the passive causative.

You can make your own passive causative sentences using

the following structure.

Its subject, plus have or get, plus object,

plus past participle.

For example, I had my computer fixed.

You can use have or get in these sentences.

If you want to mention who provided you with

the service you can say this.

I had my essay corrected by an online tutor.

You can also use the passive causative to

talk about something you’ve arranged for

someone to do for you in the future using the

-ing form of have or get.

For example, I'm getting my guitar fixed next week.

What have you had done recently?

Let me know in the comments section.

If you enjoyed this lesson don’t forget to like the video and to

subscribe to the channel.