[Grammar] "Cater it" or "have it catered"?

[Mike MC]

Two wives are speaking at a party:

Samantha: Mmm, Jenny . . . this is delicious. I love stuffed grape leaves.
Jenny: Yeah. Me, too. It all tastes delicious. Do you think they made all this themselves? Or did they have it catered?
Samantha: Oh, no. George is a great cook. Why would they cater it?
Jenny: Really?
Samantha: Oh, yeah.
Jenny: George cooks?
Samantha: You didn’t know that? Lynn’s always saying that’s half the reason she married him!
Jenny: Well, that is a good reason. Is she ever lucky! I wish my husband liked to cook. He completely avoids anything that has to do with the kitchen.
Samantha: You know, my husband’s talking about signing up for an Italian cooking class on Saturdays. I hope he does it.
Jenny: Oh. I wonder if I could convince my husband to do that. I’d sure love being the taste tester for his recipes.
Samantha: Exactly what I was thinking. Well, I’ll let you know when the class starts.
Jenny: Great! Please do. In the meantime, I think I’ll go mention it to him. Talk to you soon.

Audio file >> 03:03
Passages 1, page 38, exercise 5

Shouldn't it be why would they have it catered?

 

[Tarheel]

Two wives are speaking at a party:

Passages 1, page 38, exercise 5

Shouldn't it be Why would they have it catered?

You are right. (You should have highlighted the relevant passage. I would have found it sooner.)

 

[GoesStation]

I prefer your version, yes.

 

[Tarheel]

The one who caters a function is a caterer. So the answer to "Why would they cater it " is "Because they get paid to do so."

 

[Tdol]

Shouldn't it be why would they have it catered?

It is strange, but it is the kind of thing people use in informal speech.