The causative

The point

Have or get plus an object plus the past participle means someone else does the work. She had the note translated. Get is a little less formal. The base form after have is not this pattern.

Form and use

Causative verbs show that you arrange for something to happen, often through another person. Have and get plus an object plus a past participle mean you cause something to be done to that object. You do not do the action yourself.

Forms: She had the report printed. She got the report printed. We had the lock changed. Have someone do something uses the bare infinitive. You name the person who acts. She had the assistant print the report. Get someone to do something uses to. She got the assistant to print the report. The negative and question follow have or get as ordinary verbs: she did not have it printed, did she get it printed?

The contrast is the pattern after the person. Have plus person plus base: had him sign it. Get plus person plus to plus base: got him to sign it. Do not mix them. She had him to sign it adds a to that this have-pattern does not take. She got him sign it drops the to that get needs.

Have or get plus object plus past participle does not name the worker. She had the report printed tells us the report was printed at her arrangement. She had the assistant print the report names the assistant. Use the participle when the object receives the action. Use the person plus a verb when the actor matters.

Don't translate it like this

Translated is the participle. Someone else did the translating.

Short examples