have/get

[navi tasan]

1-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we had people asking questions.
2-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we got people asking questions.

Is there a difference between these sentences?
It seems to me that in 2 our role in causing the questioning of the people is more important. It is as if we had done something wrong.
Am I correct?

 

[GaryEM]

The preferred form is : we had people asking questions. Native speakers debate the use of had and got. To avoid confusion, I suggest you say : We caused people to ask questions. Another form is : We made people ask questions.
Have / Had is a posession verb. Had means you posessed some thing or some quality. In your example, the behavior " shooting on location " is done by the subject "we". Thus, "we" posesses the quality that makes people ask questions.
Got / Get is a verb that means to take posession. Get the book. I got the paper yesterday. The verbs had and got are similar. Many people confuse them.
I prefer make and cause verbs. They are similar. Each one means the subject creates an effect on the object. I made you happy. I caused you to be happy. These mean the same thing.

 

[riverkid]

1-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we had people asking questions.

2-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we got people asking questions.


Is there a difference between these sentences?
It seems to me that in 2 our role in causing the questioning of the people is more important. It is as if we had done something wrong.
Am I correct?

Yes, there is a great potential for difference in meaning, Navi, in both of your examples.

1-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we had people asking questions.

a) People asked questions of their own volition, probably about what was going on.

b) "We", as part of the shoot organized it for people to ask questions.

2-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we got people asking questions.

a) People asked questions of their own volition, probably about what was going on.

b) "We", as part of the shoot organized it for people to ask questions.

I think, to limit the meaning to that of b),

2-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we got people to ask questions.

What is it that you're actually trying to say?

 

[navi tasan]

Thanks a lot Gary and Riverkid,

This was the case I had in mind:

a) People asked questions of their own volition, probably about what was going on.

I just thought that if used in the case where people ask questions of their own volition, there is a slight difference between these sentences. I thought the second one (the one with 'get') implied a greater responsibity on our part.
For instance: What we did was so strange that we got people asking questions.

Perhaps the difference is too small to matter or even inexistant?

1-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we had people asking questions.

2-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we got people asking questions.

 

[riverkid]

Thanks a lot Gary and Riverkid,

This was the case I had in mind:

a) People asked questions of their own volition, probably about what was going on.

I just thought that if used in the case where people ask questions of their own volition, there is a slight difference between these sentences. I thought the second one (the one with 'get') implied a greater responsibity on our part.
For instance: What we did was so strange that we got people asking questions.

Perhaps the difference is too small to matter or even inexistant?

1-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we had people asking questions.

2-When we were shooting on location in Times Square, we got people asking questions.

To get the meaning, "What we did was so strange that we got people asking questions",

Our shoot in Times Square really got/had people asking questions.