have someone to kill...

Offroad · Sep 14, 2011

Dear teachers

Do these sentences read well?

I had him to do the dirty work.
He had a professional killer to put an end to his boss's life. (to have = hire)
I was convicted for having someone to kill my bitchy wife.
You need to have someone to shoot him in the head.
I'll have someone to 'talk' to him.
By the end of 2011 I'll have had him killed.

Thanks

emsr2d2 · Sep 14, 2011

Offroad said:
Dear teachers

Do these sentences read well?

I had him to do the dirty work.
He had a professional killer to put an end to his boss's life. (to have = hire)
I was convicted for having someone to kill my bitchy wife.
You need to have someone to shoot him in the head.
I'll have someone to 'talk' to him.
By the end of 2011 I'll have had him killed.

Thanks

No. When we use "have someone do something" in this context, we drop the "to" from the verb and use the bare infinitive.

I had him do the dirty work.
He had a professional killer put an end to his boss's life.
I was convicted for having someone kill my b*tchy wife.
You need to have someone shoot him in the head.
I'll have someone talk to him.

Your final sentence is fine in the past tense.

It is possible to use the full infinitive but for different contexts:

- Why do you have a maid?
- I have her to do the cooking and cleaning.

- Why did you have a baby?
- I had him to fill a gaping void in my life.

- Why does he have a dog.
- He has a dog to help him get some exercise.

Ouisch · Sep 14, 2011

I always get a warm and fuzzy feeling assisting an English student with the proper translation of various methods of murder-for-hire. :lol: ;-)

BobK · Sep 15, 2011

emsr2d2 said:
...

It is possible to use the full infinitive but for different contexts:

- Why do you have a maid?
- I have her to do the cooking and cleaning.

...

:up: And this can be adapted to continue the murder-for-hire theme. ;-)

'Al Capone was finally charged not with murder but with tax evasion; he had other people to do his dirty work.'

b

Offroad · Sep 15, 2011

Interesting.... BobK, now I'd like to know why yours is right and mine isn't.

Thanks

emsr2d2 · Sep 15, 2011

Offroad said:
Interesting.... BobK, now I'd like to know why yours is right and mine isn't.

Thanks

He had other people to do his dirty work = This doesn't necessarily mean that they did any dirty work, just that they were available to do so and were happy to do it for him.

He had other people do his dirty work = They actually did carry out illegal acts for him.

"To have someone do something" = to force/request/demand that someone do something for you and they actually do it.

5jj · Sep 15, 2011

Offroad said:
Interesting.... BobK, now I'd like to know why yours is right and mine isn't.

Actually, some of yours are possible, with the sense that emsr2d2 explained.

I had him to do the dirty work (i.e. if I needed someone)
I had him do the dirty work. (when I needed it)
He had a professional killer to put an end to his boss's life. (to have = hire) (As the killer almost certainly killed the boss, this one is unlikely.
He had a professional killer put an end to his boss's life. (to have = hire) (Most likely)
I was convicted for having someone to kill my bitchy wife. (It's unlikely that you would keep someone on just for this purpose)
I was convicted for having someone [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] kill my bitchy wife. (Most likely)
You need to have someone to shoot him in the head.(Possible)
You need to have someone shoot him in the head. (Possible)
I'll have someone to 'talk' to him. (Unlikely, in my opinion)
I'll have someone to 'talk' to him. (Most likely)
By the end of 2011 I'll have had him killed.(Fine)

As emsr2d2 suggested in her first post, "When we use "have someone do something" in this context, we drop the "to" from the verb and use the bare infinitive".

Bob's Al Capone sentence is possible with or without 'to' - with different meanings.

BobK · Sep 16, 2011

fivejedjon said:
Actually, some of yours are possible, with the sense that emsr2d2 explained.

...
I was convicted for having someone to kill my bitchy wife. (It's unlikely that you would keep someone on just for this purpose)
A real niche employment opportunity ;-)....

Poor old Offroad, being told s/he's wrong when there was a possibility!

b

Barb_D · Sep 16, 2011

I guess that's what retainers are for. You're on hand to do what needs doing.

A fee-for-services is without the "to."

Tdol · Sep 17, 2011

fivejedjon said:
I was convicted for having someone to kill my bitchy wife. (It's unlikely that you would keep someone on just for this purpose)
I was convicted for having someone to kill my bitchy wife. (Most likely)

Shouldn't the second be without to?

Tdol · Sep 17, 2011

Ouisch said:
I always get a warm and fuzzy feeling assisting an English student with the proper translation of various methods of murder-for-hire. :lol: ;-)

At least they'll be able to get the right person. ;-)

BobK · Sep 17, 2011

Tdol said:
Shouldn't the second be without to?

There should be a special name for this sort of typo - a cut&paste-o perhaps. ;-)

b

Tdol · Sep 17, 2011

BobK said:
There should be a special name for this sort of typo - a cut&paste-o perhaps. ;-)

b

I've done it so many times. And then there's the answer with the word not missing. ;-)

5jj · Sep 17, 2011

Tdol said:
Shouldn't the second be without to?

have someone to kill...

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