What is the difference between had and got?





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Are there any significant differences in uses or meanings between these two words? Between the two example sentences below, does one sentence have a slightly different meaning compared to the other, or are they fully interchangeable in all situations?




  1. I got my hair cut.

  2. I had my hair cut.










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    5















    Are there any significant differences in uses or meanings between these two words? Between the two example sentences below, does one sentence have a slightly different meaning compared to the other, or are they fully interchangeable in all situations?




    1. I got my hair cut.

    2. I had my hair cut.










    share|improve this question



























      5












      5








      5


      2






      Are there any significant differences in uses or meanings between these two words? Between the two example sentences below, does one sentence have a slightly different meaning compared to the other, or are they fully interchangeable in all situations?




      1. I got my hair cut.

      2. I had my hair cut.










      share|improve this question
















      Are there any significant differences in uses or meanings between these two words? Between the two example sentences below, does one sentence have a slightly different meaning compared to the other, or are they fully interchangeable in all situations?




      1. I got my hair cut.

      2. I had my hair cut.







      word-choice past-participle causative-verbs get-passive






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      edited 2 days ago









      tchrist

      110k30295475




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      asked Apr 4 at 3:43









      ConstantFunConstantFun

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          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          1














          Very often (especially in British English) both sentences are similar in meaning, though "to get" sounds more dynamic:



          To get smth done



          Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition.



          (with object and complement )



          ‘I need to get my hair cut’



          (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get)



          To have smth done



          (with past participle)



          Cause (something) to be done for one by someone else.



          ‘it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional’



          (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/have)



          Here are some examples from Reverso.context.net:



          I need to get my hair done.



          So, Casey, I guess it's nice for you to get your hair cut.



          Then I'll have my hair done.



          Why don't you have your hair cut?






          share|improve this answer

































            1














            The two sentences are examples of causative constructions. Without further context they essentially mean the same in this case. But it cannot be claimed that 'they are fully interchangeable in all situations'.



            There is a section on the difference in meaning in The Grammar Book: An ESL / EFL Teacher's Course (p653):




            Have. The verb have suggests a routine hiring or selecting in which a relation of authority is implied, as between
            customer-businessperson or creditor-debtor:




            • We had Ray mow the lawn. (He does it every week.)

            • I had the barber trim my hair. (It is his profession.)

            • Fred had John give him $5. (It was part of the debt that John owed Fred.)

            • ?He had a stranger on the street give him directions.


            The questioned example above is inappropriate since it suggests a
            relation of authority which does not exist between two strangers in a
            chance meeting. The action performed must also relate to the specific
            area of authority.



            Get. The verb get often tends to convey the sense that some difficulty was involved; perhaps the subject of the main clause used
            persuasion or coercion on the subject of the embedded clause:




            • I got Ray to give me $5. (He had refused earlier.)


            Martin (1981)*, in a discourse analysis of causatives, provides
            support for the distinctions made above. In one of his native speaker
            survey questionnaire items, 20 out of 23 respondents chose get when
            it was clear that some difficulty was involved:




            • I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do it, but I finally

              (a) had the lawn mowed. (= 3) - (b) got the lawn mowed (= 20)




            This Ngram shows that I had my hair cut is more common than I got my hair cut, which supports the contention made in The Grammar Book. But, interestingly, it shows a significant increase in I got my hair cut over the last few decades.



            So nobody is going to pull you up if you say I got my hair cut, particularly if some difficulty was involved. For example:




            • After looking all day in town for a barber I finally got my hair cut at the airport just before departure.






            share|improve this answer


























            • *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

              – Shoe
              2 days ago



















            0














            The main difference between the two is one of formality. I had my hair cut is (pretty much) always acceptable, whereas I got my hair cut is fairly informal.



            In conversation I might use either, but got sounds less educated.



            Reference: Perfect English Grammar:




            We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.







            share|improve this answer
























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              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes








              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes









              active

              oldest

              votes






              active

              oldest

              votes









              1














              Very often (especially in British English) both sentences are similar in meaning, though "to get" sounds more dynamic:



              To get smth done



              Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition.



              (with object and complement )



              ‘I need to get my hair cut’



              (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get)



              To have smth done



              (with past participle)



              Cause (something) to be done for one by someone else.



              ‘it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional’



              (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/have)



              Here are some examples from Reverso.context.net:



              I need to get my hair done.



              So, Casey, I guess it's nice for you to get your hair cut.



              Then I'll have my hair done.



              Why don't you have your hair cut?






              share|improve this answer






























                1














                Very often (especially in British English) both sentences are similar in meaning, though "to get" sounds more dynamic:



                To get smth done



                Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition.



                (with object and complement )



                ‘I need to get my hair cut’



                (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get)



                To have smth done



                (with past participle)



                Cause (something) to be done for one by someone else.



                ‘it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional’



                (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/have)



                Here are some examples from Reverso.context.net:



                I need to get my hair done.



                So, Casey, I guess it's nice for you to get your hair cut.



                Then I'll have my hair done.



                Why don't you have your hair cut?






                share|improve this answer




























                  1












                  1








                  1







                  Very often (especially in British English) both sentences are similar in meaning, though "to get" sounds more dynamic:



                  To get smth done



                  Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition.



                  (with object and complement )



                  ‘I need to get my hair cut’



                  (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get)



                  To have smth done



                  (with past participle)



                  Cause (something) to be done for one by someone else.



                  ‘it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional’



                  (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/have)



                  Here are some examples from Reverso.context.net:



                  I need to get my hair done.



                  So, Casey, I guess it's nice for you to get your hair cut.



                  Then I'll have my hair done.



                  Why don't you have your hair cut?






                  share|improve this answer















                  Very often (especially in British English) both sentences are similar in meaning, though "to get" sounds more dynamic:



                  To get smth done



                  Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition.



                  (with object and complement )



                  ‘I need to get my hair cut’



                  (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get)



                  To have smth done



                  (with past participle)



                  Cause (something) to be done for one by someone else.



                  ‘it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional’



                  (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/have)



                  Here are some examples from Reverso.context.net:



                  I need to get my hair done.



                  So, Casey, I guess it's nice for you to get your hair cut.



                  Then I'll have my hair done.



                  Why don't you have your hair cut?







                  share|improve this answer














                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited 2 days ago

























                  answered 2 days ago









                  user307254user307254

                  4,5162516




                  4,5162516

























                      1














                      The two sentences are examples of causative constructions. Without further context they essentially mean the same in this case. But it cannot be claimed that 'they are fully interchangeable in all situations'.



                      There is a section on the difference in meaning in The Grammar Book: An ESL / EFL Teacher's Course (p653):




                      Have. The verb have suggests a routine hiring or selecting in which a relation of authority is implied, as between
                      customer-businessperson or creditor-debtor:




                      • We had Ray mow the lawn. (He does it every week.)

                      • I had the barber trim my hair. (It is his profession.)

                      • Fred had John give him $5. (It was part of the debt that John owed Fred.)

                      • ?He had a stranger on the street give him directions.


                      The questioned example above is inappropriate since it suggests a
                      relation of authority which does not exist between two strangers in a
                      chance meeting. The action performed must also relate to the specific
                      area of authority.



                      Get. The verb get often tends to convey the sense that some difficulty was involved; perhaps the subject of the main clause used
                      persuasion or coercion on the subject of the embedded clause:




                      • I got Ray to give me $5. (He had refused earlier.)


                      Martin (1981)*, in a discourse analysis of causatives, provides
                      support for the distinctions made above. In one of his native speaker
                      survey questionnaire items, 20 out of 23 respondents chose get when
                      it was clear that some difficulty was involved:




                      • I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do it, but I finally

                        (a) had the lawn mowed. (= 3) - (b) got the lawn mowed (= 20)




                      This Ngram shows that I had my hair cut is more common than I got my hair cut, which supports the contention made in The Grammar Book. But, interestingly, it shows a significant increase in I got my hair cut over the last few decades.



                      So nobody is going to pull you up if you say I got my hair cut, particularly if some difficulty was involved. For example:




                      • After looking all day in town for a barber I finally got my hair cut at the airport just before departure.






                      share|improve this answer


























                      • *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

                        – Shoe
                        2 days ago
















                      1














                      The two sentences are examples of causative constructions. Without further context they essentially mean the same in this case. But it cannot be claimed that 'they are fully interchangeable in all situations'.



                      There is a section on the difference in meaning in The Grammar Book: An ESL / EFL Teacher's Course (p653):




                      Have. The verb have suggests a routine hiring or selecting in which a relation of authority is implied, as between
                      customer-businessperson or creditor-debtor:




                      • We had Ray mow the lawn. (He does it every week.)

                      • I had the barber trim my hair. (It is his profession.)

                      • Fred had John give him $5. (It was part of the debt that John owed Fred.)

                      • ?He had a stranger on the street give him directions.


                      The questioned example above is inappropriate since it suggests a
                      relation of authority which does not exist between two strangers in a
                      chance meeting. The action performed must also relate to the specific
                      area of authority.



                      Get. The verb get often tends to convey the sense that some difficulty was involved; perhaps the subject of the main clause used
                      persuasion or coercion on the subject of the embedded clause:




                      • I got Ray to give me $5. (He had refused earlier.)


                      Martin (1981)*, in a discourse analysis of causatives, provides
                      support for the distinctions made above. In one of his native speaker
                      survey questionnaire items, 20 out of 23 respondents chose get when
                      it was clear that some difficulty was involved:




                      • I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do it, but I finally

                        (a) had the lawn mowed. (= 3) - (b) got the lawn mowed (= 20)




                      This Ngram shows that I had my hair cut is more common than I got my hair cut, which supports the contention made in The Grammar Book. But, interestingly, it shows a significant increase in I got my hair cut over the last few decades.



                      So nobody is going to pull you up if you say I got my hair cut, particularly if some difficulty was involved. For example:




                      • After looking all day in town for a barber I finally got my hair cut at the airport just before departure.






                      share|improve this answer


























                      • *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

                        – Shoe
                        2 days ago














                      1












                      1








                      1







                      The two sentences are examples of causative constructions. Without further context they essentially mean the same in this case. But it cannot be claimed that 'they are fully interchangeable in all situations'.



                      There is a section on the difference in meaning in The Grammar Book: An ESL / EFL Teacher's Course (p653):




                      Have. The verb have suggests a routine hiring or selecting in which a relation of authority is implied, as between
                      customer-businessperson or creditor-debtor:




                      • We had Ray mow the lawn. (He does it every week.)

                      • I had the barber trim my hair. (It is his profession.)

                      • Fred had John give him $5. (It was part of the debt that John owed Fred.)

                      • ?He had a stranger on the street give him directions.


                      The questioned example above is inappropriate since it suggests a
                      relation of authority which does not exist between two strangers in a
                      chance meeting. The action performed must also relate to the specific
                      area of authority.



                      Get. The verb get often tends to convey the sense that some difficulty was involved; perhaps the subject of the main clause used
                      persuasion or coercion on the subject of the embedded clause:




                      • I got Ray to give me $5. (He had refused earlier.)


                      Martin (1981)*, in a discourse analysis of causatives, provides
                      support for the distinctions made above. In one of his native speaker
                      survey questionnaire items, 20 out of 23 respondents chose get when
                      it was clear that some difficulty was involved:




                      • I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do it, but I finally

                        (a) had the lawn mowed. (= 3) - (b) got the lawn mowed (= 20)




                      This Ngram shows that I had my hair cut is more common than I got my hair cut, which supports the contention made in The Grammar Book. But, interestingly, it shows a significant increase in I got my hair cut over the last few decades.



                      So nobody is going to pull you up if you say I got my hair cut, particularly if some difficulty was involved. For example:




                      • After looking all day in town for a barber I finally got my hair cut at the airport just before departure.






                      share|improve this answer















                      The two sentences are examples of causative constructions. Without further context they essentially mean the same in this case. But it cannot be claimed that 'they are fully interchangeable in all situations'.



                      There is a section on the difference in meaning in The Grammar Book: An ESL / EFL Teacher's Course (p653):




                      Have. The verb have suggests a routine hiring or selecting in which a relation of authority is implied, as between
                      customer-businessperson or creditor-debtor:




                      • We had Ray mow the lawn. (He does it every week.)

                      • I had the barber trim my hair. (It is his profession.)

                      • Fred had John give him $5. (It was part of the debt that John owed Fred.)

                      • ?He had a stranger on the street give him directions.


                      The questioned example above is inappropriate since it suggests a
                      relation of authority which does not exist between two strangers in a
                      chance meeting. The action performed must also relate to the specific
                      area of authority.



                      Get. The verb get often tends to convey the sense that some difficulty was involved; perhaps the subject of the main clause used
                      persuasion or coercion on the subject of the embedded clause:




                      • I got Ray to give me $5. (He had refused earlier.)


                      Martin (1981)*, in a discourse analysis of causatives, provides
                      support for the distinctions made above. In one of his native speaker
                      survey questionnaire items, 20 out of 23 respondents chose get when
                      it was clear that some difficulty was involved:




                      • I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do it, but I finally

                        (a) had the lawn mowed. (= 3) - (b) got the lawn mowed (= 20)




                      This Ngram shows that I had my hair cut is more common than I got my hair cut, which supports the contention made in The Grammar Book. But, interestingly, it shows a significant increase in I got my hair cut over the last few decades.



                      So nobody is going to pull you up if you say I got my hair cut, particularly if some difficulty was involved. For example:




                      • After looking all day in town for a barber I finally got my hair cut at the airport just before departure.







                      share|improve this answer














                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer








                      edited 2 days ago

























                      answered 2 days ago









                      ShoeShoe

                      25.9k43989




                      25.9k43989













                      • *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

                        – Shoe
                        2 days ago



















                      • *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

                        – Shoe
                        2 days ago

















                      *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

                      – Shoe
                      2 days ago





                      *There is no bibliography in the The Grammar Book and I haven't been able to any references to Martin's analysis on the web. I'd be grateful if anyone can help out.

                      – Shoe
                      2 days ago











                      0














                      The main difference between the two is one of formality. I had my hair cut is (pretty much) always acceptable, whereas I got my hair cut is fairly informal.



                      In conversation I might use either, but got sounds less educated.



                      Reference: Perfect English Grammar:




                      We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.







                      share|improve this answer




























                        0














                        The main difference between the two is one of formality. I had my hair cut is (pretty much) always acceptable, whereas I got my hair cut is fairly informal.



                        In conversation I might use either, but got sounds less educated.



                        Reference: Perfect English Grammar:




                        We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.







                        share|improve this answer


























                          0












                          0








                          0







                          The main difference between the two is one of formality. I had my hair cut is (pretty much) always acceptable, whereas I got my hair cut is fairly informal.



                          In conversation I might use either, but got sounds less educated.



                          Reference: Perfect English Grammar:




                          We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.







                          share|improve this answer













                          The main difference between the two is one of formality. I had my hair cut is (pretty much) always acceptable, whereas I got my hair cut is fairly informal.



                          In conversation I might use either, but got sounds less educated.



                          Reference: Perfect English Grammar:




                          We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.








                          share|improve this answer












                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer










                          answered 2 days ago









                          AndyTAndyT

                          13.8k54268




                          13.8k54268






























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