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What is the difference in meaning between the two statements below?
‘I cut my hair.’
‘I got my hair cut’.
Which one is more likely to be true? Read on.
When you ‘get/have something done’, you pay/ask someone to do something for you.
For example
‘Have something done’ is more formal than‘get something done’.
This construction is similar to the PASSIVE because you use the 3rd form of the verb (Past Participle).
In the Passive, the verb ‘be‘ changes to show tense e.g.
Here, the verbs ‘get/have‘ change to show tense. The 3rd form stays the same. Follow this pattern:
I got/had
I’m getting/having
I get/have
I’ll get/have
I’m going to get/have
I’d like to get/have
I’ve had
my hair
my teeth/eyes
my car
cut.
checked.
fixed.
Think about how you would answer these questions in the IELTS Speaking Test:
[you don’t need to repeat the question or use the structure – just give a natural answer].
When you ask someone specific to do a job for you, you can express it like this:
‘I’m not good with tech, so I usually get my son to fix the computer’.
‘I hate cooking, so I usually get my husband to do it’.
This is another way to say that something needs to be done:
We’ve looked at questions that come up in the Speaking Test above.
In General Training Writing Task 1, there is often a letter of complaint to a landlord.
This language is perfect for letters of complaint about your house/flat.
Did you know that the Members Academy includes bite-sized grammar lessons specifically focused on IELTS examples?
Check out the grammar syllabus.
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