Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

PSEUDO-PASSIVES WITH HAVE: FORMATION

480

Pseudo-passives with have are formed with have + an object + the -ed participle

of the verb (ed-p):

have    object

ed-p

Hilary 

had her luggage searched at the airport.

Did we tell you about the incident with the next door neighbour who

’d had his

car kicked? 

We 

had the house painted last year.

[complaining about someone who receives social security benefits and who

refused a job]

Now that man 

should have his benefits stopped because there was a job for

£400 a week and he said no. 

✪

The pseudo-passive word order have + object + -ed participle is different from

that of active present and past perfect verb phrases:

I 

had my hair cut the day before the wedding.

(‘I had cut my hair the day before the wedding’ would mean I did it myself)

Do they have their car serviced regularly?

(‘Have they serviced their car regularly?’ would suggest they normally do it

themselves)