English Language & Usage Asked on June 18, 2021
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Can I use "have" instead of "get"?
"You will probably have mugged if you walk through that part of town." Is meaningful but doesn't mean "You will probably get mugged if you walk through that part of town." On the contrary it says that, if you walk through that part of town, you have probably mugged someone in the past. It is the same construction as "You will probably have passed the Town Hall if you walk through that part of town." (Because you probably had to go past the Town Hall to get to that part of town). The reason for this is that "have mugged" is a compound verb and, without an object, takes 'you' as its subject. That is 'you' did the mugging of an unspecified person.
"You will probably have yourself mugged if you walk through that part of town.", on the other hand, does mean pretty much the same as "You will probably get yourself mugged if you walk through that part of town." The reason is that the reflexive form 'yourself' makes you the object of whatever verb is used and its presence between 'have' and 'mugged' means that the compound verb 'have mugged' is not formed.
Having said that "have yourself mugged" is still a bit strange because it could be taken to mean that you had arranged for someone to mug you. It is the same form as "You will probably have yourself taken to the airport in a taxi" and says that you will probably have arranged to have a service done for you.
Answered by BoldBen on June 18, 2021
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