Re: have something done

In our last episode, <e32ek1$5v5$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, the lovely and
talented sklin broadcast on alt.usage.english:

When we say "have something done," is that "something" necessarily done by
others? I came across a "problematic" (?) sentence in an ESL book.

Josh is describing his first day of working at a restaurant. "The manager
made me wear a weird-looking uniform. Then he had me bow to the customers
at the front door, which was really embarrassing. On top of that, the
manager asked me to have the kitchen floor mopped within ten minutes..."

Is the last sentence correct?

Yes.

Curiously enough, it sounded pretty O.K to me., but then I realized why
not just say, "...asked me to mop the floor"?

In this particular case, it means "finish mopping the floor within ten
minutes," rather than "start mopping the floor within ten minutes."
Completion is what the perfect tense is all about. "Have," however, can be
slightly ambiguous, and in some cases this could mean that the job of
mopping the floor could be delegated to someone else. "Have a car waiting
for me when I arrive," does not mean that the person addressed must drive
the car himself. In addition, some people give orders this way because it
sounds a little less direct and seems less abrupt, and it puts the emphasis
on the required task rather than the position of the subordinate. The boss
who gives orders this way is trying to say "It is important that this job be
done" rather than "It is important for me to make you do it."

--
Lars Eighner usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.larseighner.com/
My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine -- everybody
drinks water. --Mark Twain
.

Relevant Pages