How are they different?

Question

What do they have you doing?What do they have you to do?What do they get you doing?What do they get you to do?How are they different?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

messier42What do they have you doing?

In what way are they keeping you busy doing things?

They hired him to translate manuscripts, but there's not much to translate just now so they have him helping in the research department.

messier42What do they have you to do?

Why are you there? What job do they expect you to do? For what purpose do they employ you?

We have Bob to clean up the floors, and we have Bill to wash the windows.

messier42What do they get you doing?

What do they cause you to start doing?

When they hear those strong rhythms, it gets them dancing.

messier42What do they get you to do?

What do they coax you into doing? What do they trick you into doing?

The con men got the old lady to sign away most of her savings to a fake charity.

CJ

Messier42 · Answer

What about these?
I will get him to clean the room
I will have him to clean the room
I will get him cleaning the room
I will have him cleaning the room

CalifJim · Answer

messier42What about these?

You should be able to answer these yourself because they are so similar to the previous group. You have just added will and a more specific action (clean the room).

Would you like to try?

CJ

Messier42 · Answer

1) to get him to ~ : I will trick or coax him into cleaning the room.
2) to have him to ~ : I will make him clean the room. Because it's his duty.
3) to get him -ing : I told him cleaning the room is hygienic. He voluntarily started cleaning the room.
4) to have him -ing : I will make him clean the room. Because he has nothing else to do . He might as well clean the room.

I hope I understood correctly

CalifJim · Answer

messier421) to get him to ~ : I will trick or coax him into cleaning the room.

OK.

messier422) to have him to ~ : I will make him clean the room. Because it's his duty.

No. You are confusing two different constructions which are very similar.

to have him clean the room ~ to make him clean the room; to arrange for him to clean the room; to hire him and pay him to clean the room. (You did not list this one in your first post.)

to have him ( to clean the room ) ~ to have him available for the purpose of cleaning the room (somewhat like having an employee who works for you)

messier423) to get him -ing : I told him cleaning the room is hygienic. He voluntarily started cleaning the room.

OK.

messier424) to have him -ing : I will make him clean the room. Because he has nothing else to do . He might as well clean the room.

OK, but "make" is not exactly the meaning. This is a little more like the first one (to get him to).
_____________

You might try using Google to find examples of all these different, but similar, patterns. Then you might be able to understand the meanings better because you'll have hundreds of examples to read for each pattern. You will also find that each pattern changes its meaning slightly depending on how it is used, for example, which verb is used with the pattern.

CJ

Messier42 · Answer

Thank you very much for your help! And sorry to keep asking questions..

A: We have a janitor to help you.
(We hired a janitor available for you, he is not helping you at the moment)
B: Could you please have him fix the bulb in my room?
( Please order him to fix it, because you pay him for it)
A: (to the janitor) Could you please fix the bulb? (But the janitor is playing dumb, not listening to what the employer said)
B : Please, get him to work on the bulb!
A: Probably I should get him working more diligently by raising his salary.(= I should have him working more diligently by rasing his salary)

Is my dialogue ok?

CalifJim · Answer

messier42A: We have a janitor to help you. (We hired a janitor available for you, he is not helping you at the moment)

Yes. That's possible.

messier42B: Could you please have him fix the bulb in my room?( Please order him to fix it, because you pay him for it)

That's possible.

messier42A: (to the janitor) Could you please fix the bulb? (But the janitor is playing dumb, not listening to what the employer said) B : Please, get him to work on the bulb!

Also OK.

messier42A: Probably I should get him working more diligently by raising his salary.

The idea is OK, but we would say it differently:

Maybe I should give him a raise to get him [working / to work] more diligently.

CJ

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