The Causative: B1 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. I am going to ___ my hair cut on Saturday. → have

Have plus an object plus a past participle is the causative for a professional service.

2. We had the kitchen ___ last summer. → painted

The causative always uses the past participle, whatever the tense of have.

3. What is the difference between 'I cut my hair' and 'I had my hair cut'? → In the first you did it yourself

The causative makes clear that somebody else performed the action for you.

4. She ___ her car serviced every six months. → has

The tense and agreement sit on have, not on the participle.

5. Which sentence uses get correctly as a causative? → I got my bike repaired.

The word order is fixed: get, then the object, then the past participle.

6. They ___ their flat burgled while they were away. → had

The causative can also describe something unpleasant that happened to you, not only a service you paid for.

7. We are ___ the roof repaired at the moment. → having

The continuous form puts -ing on have, leaving the participle unchanged.

8. You should ___ that mole looked at by a doctor. → have

After a modal, have appears in its base form.

9. Where does the object go in a causative sentence? → Between have and the participle

The order is have, object, past participle — putting the object last is the commonest error.

10. He ___ his passport stolen on the metro. → had

This is the misfortune sense of the causative: something was done to him.

11. I need to ___ these documents translated into Spanish. → get

After to, get appears in its base form.

12. Which is more informal? → get something done

Get is the more colloquial of the two and often suggests some effort was involved.

13. They had the whole system ___ before the audit. → checked

The past participle is fixed regardless of the tense on have.

14. We ___ the windows cleaned twice a year. → get

A present habit takes the present simple on get.

15. By next week I will ___ the report proofread. → have

After will, have appears in the base form.

16. Which sentence means somebody else took the photograph? → I had the building photographed.

Only the causative removes the speaker as the person doing the work.

17. She had her wisdom teeth ___ last month. → removed

The medical procedure was performed on her, so the participle is required.

18. Do you ___ your suits dry-cleaned? → have

With the auxiliary do, have returns to its base form in a question.

19. We had our flight ___ without any warning. → cancelled

The misfortune sense still takes the past participle.

20. 'I must get my eyes tested' means ___. → An optician will test my eyes

The causative always implies a third party performs the action.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. I am going to ___ my hair cut tomorrow morning. → have

Have plus object plus past participle is the causative for a professional service.

2. We had the bathroom ___ last spring. → tiled

The past participle follows the object in every causative sentence.

3. She ___ her car washed every Saturday. → has

The tense and the third-person s belong to have, not to the participle.

4. They ___ their windows broken during the storm. → had

The causative also covers misfortunes that happen to you.

5. You should ___ that cough checked by a doctor. → have

After a modal, have or get appears in the base form.

6. We are ___ the garden landscaped at the moment. → having

The continuous puts -ing on have while the participle stays fixed.

7. I must get these trousers ___ before the wedding. → altered

The participle describes what will be done to the object.

8. He had his laptop ___ at the airport last week. → stolen

The misfortune sense of the causative takes the same structure.

9. Do you ___ your shirts ironed professionally? → have

After the auxiliary do, have appears in its base form.

10. By Friday we will ___ the contract signed. → have

After will, the base form is required.

11. She got her photograph ___ for the new passport. → taken

Get works exactly like have, with the participle after the object.

12. They had the old barn ___ into a studio. → converted

The participle names the work performed by somebody else.

13. I need to ___ my eyes tested this year. → get

After to, get or have appears in the base form.

14. We ___ the boiler serviced every autumn. → have

A regular arrangement takes the present simple.

15. He had his wallet ___ on the underground. → stolen

Something unpleasant was done to him, which the causative expresses neatly.

16. Have you ___ the results checked by anyone else? → had

The present perfect puts had after have, with the participle last.

17. They are getting the whole house ___ next month. → rewired

The participle follows the object even in the continuous.

18. I had my suit ___ for the interview. → cleaned

A service performed by somebody else takes the causative.

19. She wants to ___ her flat valued before selling. → have

After want to, the base form of have or get is used.

20. We had the documents ___ into three languages. → translated

The past participle is invariable in this structure.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Report a visit to the hairdresser. → I had my hair cut yesterday.

Report a visit to the hairdresser.

2. Describe work in progress at your house. → We are having the kitchen redecorated.

Describe work in progress at your house.

3. Describe a regular arrangement informally. → She gets her car serviced every year.

Describe a regular arrangement informally.

4. Report a misfortune with the causative. → They had their flat burgled last month.

Report a misfortune with the causative.

5. Advise somebody to see a professional. → You should have that tooth looked at.

Advise somebody to see a professional.

6. State a personal errand. → I need to get my eyes tested.

State a personal errand.

7. Report professional translation work. → He had the documents translated into German.

Report professional translation work.

8. Plan future building work. → We will have the roof repaired in spring.

Plan future building work.

9. Ask about a household service. → Do you have your shirts ironed?

Ask about a household service.

10. Describe a studio visit. → She had her photograph taken professionally.

Describe a studio visit.

11. Describe electrical work under way. → They are getting the house rewired.

Describe electrical work under way.

12. Express a personal obligation informally. → I must get this watch repaired.

Express a personal obligation informally.

13. Report a completed conversion. → We had the old barn converted last year.

Report a completed conversion.

14. Report a theft with the causative. → He had his bicycle stolen outside the library.

Report a theft with the causative.

15. Ask about routine maintenance. → Have you had the boiler checked recently?

Ask about routine maintenance.

16. Describe a plan before selling. → She wants to have her flat valued.

Describe a plan before selling.

17. Describe a recurring service. → We get the windows cleaned twice a year.

Describe a recurring service.

18. Report preparation for an event. → I had my suit pressed for the wedding.

Report preparation for an event.

19. Describe something done to you at a border. → They had their luggage searched at customs.

Describe something done to you at a border.

20. Describe garden work in progress. → He is having a new fence installed.

Describe garden work in progress.