# 4. The taxi driver had his car repaired (introduction to causative have)

> This section is about the causative form or 'have something done'. This structure is used in English when we do not do something ourselves, but we arrange for someone else to do it for us. It's not too difficult, but you have to get used to it.

# Actividad de lectura

ING01-05-01-audio03.mp3
Paco's flight wasn't cancelled, so he was lucky. But not very. When he arrived at JFK Airport in New York, he decided to take a taxi to go to the hotel. Unfortunately, on his way to the city, the old and beat-up yellow Yorker taxi broke down. Paco couldn't believe his eyes.

Imagen de Thomas Hawk. Llicencia CC | Imagen de joyseyshowaa . Licenc ia CC. | Imagen de Thomas Hawk. Licencia CC.

There were hundreds and hundreds of taxis at the Airport and he had to choose that one. The taxi driver, a middle-aged man of Indian origin, told him not to worry about it. He made a couple of telephone calls to his insurance company and half an hour later the taxi driver had his taxi repaired and was ready to go on with Paco's plans.
The causative form structure is peculiar in English. It doesn't exist in Spanish.
Find the sentence in the text describing where one person does the activity for another.

# Retroalimentación

beat-up: destartalado
to break down: romperse, averiarse, estropearse
to believe one's eyes: creerse lo que ven sus propios ojos
insurance company : aseguradora
*******************************************
The sentence is: the taxi driver had his taxi repaired

# Reflexiona

The causative is a common structure in English. It is used when one thing or person causes another thing or person to do something, that is to say, when we speak about a professional service which someone has done for us:

Imagen de friskierisky Licencia CC

My parents are having their house repaired.
(My parents have asked somebody to repair their house)

# Retroalimentación

Remember that there are two basic causative structures:

- an active one: I had my friend fix my car
- a passive one: I had my car fixed.

It is often used with the following verbs: TO HAVE, TO LET, TO MAKE, TO GET, and a few others.

# Ejercicio Resuelto

> 1. I want the dentist to fix my teeth.

> I'll have the dentist fix my teeth.

> I'll have my teeth fixed.

> 2. The cleaner is going to wash my windows.

> I'm going to have my windows washed.

> I'm going to have the cleaner wash my windows.

> 3. The gardener cut Joe's grass yesterday

> Joe had the gardener cut his grass yesterday.

> Joe had his grass cut yesterday.

> 4. The plumber is mending our broken tap.

> We are having the plumber mend our broken tap

> We are having our broken tap mended.

Read carefully the sentences in italics with the causative form above and deduce the structure of the causative have.

# Retroalimentación

HAVE + OBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE
is used to suggest that
WE ARE CAUSING SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING FOR US.
IMPORTANT
The tense of the verb HAVE changes depending on the time:
I had my car washed last week (HAD = Simple Past)
I have my car washed every day (HAVE= Simple Present)
I will have my car washed tomorrow, probably (WILL HAVE= future)

# Comprueba lo aprendido

# Pregunta

Decide which sentence with the causative form is correct and which one is incorrect.

1) Yesterday I had my car repair.

# Respuestas

Opción 1

a. Incorrect.

Opción 2

b. Correct.

# Retroalimentación

Right. There is no past participle in the sentence. It should be repaired.
Wrong. The structure should be: have + object + past participle.

# Solución

1. Opción correcta (Retroalimentación)
2. Incorrecto (Retroalimentación)

# Pregunta

2) Are you going to get the tyres changed?

# Respuestas

Opción 1

a. Incorrect.

Opción 2

b. Correct.

# Retroalimentación

Wrong. The sentence is correct. Get can be also used instead of have.
Right. The sentence is correct. Get can be also used instead of have.

# Solución

1. Incorrecto (Retroalimentación)
2. Opción correcta (Retroalimentación)

# Pregunta

3. I had serviced my car.

# Respuestas

Opción 1

Correct

Opción 2

Incorrect

# Retroalimentación

No,look at the position of the object.
Right! The correct form for this structure is : I had my car serviced.

# Solución

1. Incorrecto (Retroalimentación)
2. Opción correcta (Retroalimentación)

# Curiosidad

Central Park in New York: a jungle in the middle of skyscrapers

Central Park is a large public, urban park that occupies over a square mile (341 hectares) in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. It is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year. Central Park was opened in 1859, completed in 1873 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

The park was designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and the architect Calvert Vaux. While much of the park looks natural, it is in fact almost entirely landscaped. It contains several natural-looking lakes and ponds, extensive walking tracks, two ice-skating rinks (one of which is a swimming pool in July and August), the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large area of natural woods, a reservoir with an encircling running track, and the outdoor Delacorte Theater which hosts the "Shakespeare in the Park" summer festivals.

Imagen de jodesJ en Pixabay. Licencia pixabay.

The park is maintained by the Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization that manages the park under a contract with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, in which the president of the Conservancy is ex officio Administrator of Central Park.

Central Park is bordered on the north by West 110th Street, on the south by West 59th Street, on the west by Eighth Avenue. Along the park's borders however, these are known as Central Park North, Central Park South, and Central Park West respectively. Fifth Avenue retains its name along the eastern border of the park. Most of the areas immediately adjacent to the park are known for impressive buildings and valuable real estate.

Taken from Wikipedia.

# Para saber más

Click here to gain an idea about the form and use of the causative have.