💋 Sometimes, you just have to pay a professional.
We've reached the final unit! Whether you've managed to tie the knot and are planning a lavish wedding, or you've just been dumped and need a massive glow up to make your ex jealous, you can't do it all yourself. When we pay or ask someone else to do a service for us, we use Causative Verbs. You aren't cutting your own hair; you are having your hair cut. Let's learn how to sound properly pampered.
- Tie the knot (idiom): To get married.
- Glow up (noun): A major, positive personal transformation, usually involving a massive upgrade in physical appearance and confidence.
1. The Cheeky Dictionary: 8 Words for the Big Day
Practice: drag a word, or select it and choose a gap.
1. The suit jacket is a bit too big, so I am going to the tailor to it.
2. We hired a professional because we definitely aren't cooking for 100 people.
3. Have you decided on a for the wedding reception yet? The hotel by the marina is lovely.
4. I can't believe he is finally ready to and stop his bachelor lifestyle.
5. He went to Prague for his and didn't sleep for three days.
6. She walked into the pub wearing her and her ex-boyfriend's jaw dropped.
7. I need to myself today; I'm getting a massage and a manicure.
8. The makeup artist did an amazing job; her skin looked completely .
Choose a word, then choose a gap.
2. Grammar Mechanics: The Pampered Tense
If you say "I cut my hair," it means you took scissors and did it yourself in the bathroom (which is usually a disaster). To explain that a professional did it for you, use the structure below. You can use either Have or Get—they mean exactly the same thing, but "get" is slightly more casual.
| Tense | The Formula | Cheeky Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past Simple (It's already finished) |
had / got + object + V3 (Past Participle) | "I had my suit altered yesterday." "She got her nails done for the party." |
| Present Continuous (It's happening right now or soon) |
am having / am getting + object + V3 | "I am getting my makeup done right now." "We are having the food catered tomorrow." |
| Future (Planning for the big day) |
will have / will get + object + V3 | "We will get the venue decorated by professionals." |
3. Reading: The Ultimate Makeover
Notice how Charlotte and Zoe use causative verbs to discuss preparing for the big day!
4. Interactive Practice: The Diva Demands
Exercise A: Did you do it yourself?
1. Which sentence means the mechanic fixed the car, not you?
2. Which sentence means the hairdresser is currently working on your hair?
Exercise B: Build the Causative
Use the verb in brackets (in the V3 Past Participle form!) to complete the sentence.
1. (Past) I went to the salon and had my nails (paint).
2. (Future) For the wedding, we will get the cake (deliver) to the venue.
5. Speaking Practice: Spilling the Tea ☕
- If you were going to a massive wedding (or a revenge party), what beauty treatments would you have done before you went?
- Do you prefer to cook for your friends, or would you rather have the food catered?
- Think about your house or flat. What is one thing you need to get fixed or have repaired soon?
- Have you ever had a completely disastrous haircut when you went to get your hair cut? What happened?
- What is the best stag do or hen do you have ever attended? Did the bride/groom survive before tying the knot?