Archive for January, 2015

Special structures with have

January 22nd, 2015 in English Learning

Verb pattern: have + object + infinitive /-ing form

In this structure have means ‘experience’.  The usage is rather informal.

  • I had a strange thing happen to me last week. (= I experienced a strange thing last week.)
  • We had a beggar come to the door yesterday.
  • We would like to have children playing in the garden again.

Note that in this structure we use an infinitive to talk about something that happened.

An –ing form, on the other hand, is used to talk about things that are or were happening.

  • When I looked up I found that we had water dripping through the ceiling. (An ongoing activity)

The structure have + object + infinitive / -ing form can also mean ‘cause somebody / something to do something’.

  • The joker had us laughing all through the show. (The joker caused us to laugh.)

Have + object + past participle

This structure is used to talk about getting things done by others. In this structure the past participle usually has a passive meaning.

  • I must have my car repaired. (= I want my car to be repaired.)
  • Because he refused to get out of my house, I had him arrested.

This structure can also mean ‘experience’.

  • I had my car stolen last week.

‘I won’t have’ can mean ‘I won’t allow’.

  •  I won’t have my house turned into a pub.