Advanced Passive Structures in English

Overview

Once you are comfortable with basic passive voice (The cake was eaten), it is time to explore more sophisticated passive constructions. Advanced passive structures allow you to express ideas about services, experiences, and events with two objects -- all while keeping the focus on the receiver of the action rather than the doer. These patterns are essential at the B2 (Upper Intermediate) level and are extremely common in everyday English.

This topic covers three major areas: passives with two objects (ditransitive verbs), the causative "have/get something done" construction, and the informal passive with "get." Mastering these will make your English sound considerably more natural and flexible.

How It Works

Passives with Two Objects

Some verbs take two objects -- an indirect object (usually a person) and a direct object (usually a thing). Either object can become the subject of the passive sentence.

Active	Passive (person as subject)	Passive (thing as subject)
They gave me a present.	I was given a present.	A present was given to me.
Someone told her the news.	She was told the news.	The news was told to her.
They offered him a job.	He was offered a job.	A job was offered to him.

The version with the person as subject is more common and sounds more natural in English.

Causative: Have / Get Something Done

Use this structure when someone else performs a service or action for you.

Structure	Example	Meaning
have + object + past participle	I had my car repaired.	Someone repaired my car (for me).
get + object + past participle	She got her hair done.	Someone did her hair (for her).

Tense changes apply to "have" or "get":

Tense	Example
Present Simple	I have my teeth checked every year.
Past Simple	We had the house painted last summer.
Present Perfect	She's just had her nails done.
Future	I'm going to get my eyes tested.

The causative can also express negative experiences (something happened to you, not by your choice):

• He had his wallet stolen. (He did not arrange this -- it happened to him.)

Get + Past Participle (Informal Passive)

In informal English, "get" can replace "be" in passive constructions:

Be-passive	Get-passive
The window was broken.	The window got broken.
She was promoted.	She got promoted.
They were caught.	They got caught.

The get-passive often suggests that the event was unexpected, accidental, or involved some effort.

Examples in Context

English	Note
I was told the news this morning.	Passive with two objects (person as subject)
A prize was awarded to the winner.	Passive with two objects (thing as subject)
I had my car repaired last week.	Causative -- arranged a service
She's getting her hair done right now.	Causative with "get" -- ongoing service
He had his phone stolen on the bus.	Causative for negative experience
The window got broken during the storm.	Get-passive (accidental event)
We were shown around the museum.	Passive with two objects
You should get your eyes tested.	Causative suggestion
I'm having the kitchen remodeled.	Causative in present continuous
They got caught cheating on the exam.	Get-passive (unexpected/negative)

Common Mistakes

Confusing the causative with doing it yourself

• Wrong: I cut my hair yesterday. (when you mean someone else did it)
• Right: I had my hair cut yesterday.
• Why: "I cut my hair" means you did it yourself. Use "have/get something done" to show that a professional did it for you.

Wrong word order in the causative

• Wrong: I had repaired my car.
• Right: I had my car repaired.
• Why: The object must come between "have/get" and the past participle. Without it, the sentence looks like Past Perfect.

Overusing the get-passive in formal writing

• Wrong: (in an essay) The results got analyzed by the research team.
• Right: The results were analyzed by the research team.
• Why: The get-passive is informal. In academic or formal writing, stick with "be + past participle."

Forgetting the past participle

• Wrong: I had my car repair.
• Right: I had my car repaired.
• Why: The causative structure requires the past participle form (repaired, done, cut), not the base form of the verb.

Usage Notes

The causative "have something done" is extremely common in everyday English for talking about services: haircuts, car repairs, house maintenance, medical checkups, and more. It is appropriate in all registers, from casual conversation to business English.

In British English, "have something done" is slightly more common in formal contexts, while "get something done" is preferred in informal speech. In American English, "get something done" is widely used across registers.

The get-passive (He got fired) carries a slightly different tone than the be-passive (He was fired). The get-passive often implies that the subject was somehow involved in causing the event, or that the event was sudden or surprising.

Practice Tips

• Service diary: For one week, write down every service you use (haircut, car wash, delivery, etc.) and describe each one using the causative: I had my groceries delivered. I got my shoes repaired.

• Rewrite exercise: Take five active sentences with two objects and rewrite each one as two different passive sentences (person as subject, then thing as subject). Compare which version sounds more natural.

• Formal/informal pairs: Write the same event using both the be-passive and the get-passive, then note the difference in tone and formality.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Passive Voice -- you should be comfortable with basic passive constructions before tackling these advanced forms
• Next steps: Complex Passive Structures -- learn reporting passives like "It is said that..." and "He is believed to be..."