Get instead of obtain, receive and buy
- I got my passport last week. (Obtain)
- She got her driving license last week. (Obtain)
- They got permission to live in Switzerland. (Obtain)
- I got a letter from my friend in Nigeria. (Receive)
- He gets $1,000 a year from his father. (Receive)
- She got a new coat from shop in Rome. (Buy)
- We got a new television for the sitting room. (Buy)
Get instead of become, get and arrive
- I am getting old. (Becoming)
- It's getting hotter. (Becoming)
- By the time they reached the house they were getting hungry. (Becoming)
- I'm getting tired of all this nonsense. (Becoming)
- My mother's getting old and needs looking after. (Becoming)
- It gets dark very early in the winter. (Becomes)
- Don't touch the stove until it gets cold. (Becomes)
- How are you getting home tonight? (Reaching)
- When did you get back from Cairo? (Reach)
- We got to London around 6 p.m. (Arrived)
- What time will we get there? (Arrive)
Get in idioms
I'll give you terms with the verb "get" and an example of how to use it. As you will see, some of them are phrasal verbs and some idiomatic expressions. Get can be used for a lot of things in American English and in this lesson we use it in IDIOMS.
What I recommend learning about them is to take 2 or 3 of the terms below, and try to use them in your everyday life. Find situations where you think it is best to use them. Even if you made a mistake, it doesn't matter because it will really help you remember it.
1. Do you get it: Did you understand anything.
- Do you get what the teacher was explaining in class?
2. He’s getting dinner tonight: He's going to do dinner tonight.
- You can relax. It's my turn to get dinner tonight.
3. I’ll get the bill: I will pay.
- Put your wallet away! I'll get the bill.
4. That really gets me!: This really makes me nervous.
- It really gets me when my sister shows up late.
5. Get rid of: To remove something or someone.
- I'm going to get rid of all these old newspapers.
6. Get out of bed on the wrong side: To be in a bad mood.
- He got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning and he's been horrible all day.
7. Get one’s own back: To take revenge or hit someone.
- She's getting her own back for all those rude things you said at the party last night.
8. Get out of dodge: To leave.
- When I saw the big dog stalking toward me, growling and slobbering, I knew it was time to get out of dodge.
9. Get one’s feet wet: To begin taking part in a new activity
- Finally, you've decided to get your feet wet and enrolled in your singing classes.
Get with phrasal verbs
The key to all of this is learning the sentences. This way, you will understand this word and how to use it.
If Get comes with a preposition or an adverb, it will be as phrasal verbs with their meanings, examples:
1. Get at: To criticize a person repeatedly.
- He keeps getting at me and I really don't know what I've done wrong.
2. Get away with: To succeed in avoiding punishment for something.
- If I thought I could get away with it, I wouldn't pay my taxes at all.
3. Get by: To be able to live or deal with a situation with difficulty, usually by having just enough of something you need, such as money.
- How can he get by on so little money?
4. Get down: To start to direct your efforts and attention towards something.
- I've got a lot of work to do, but I can't seem to get down to it.
5. Get off: To leave a place, usually in order to start a journey.
- If we can get off by seven o'clock, the roads will be clearer.
6. Get on
A: To have a good relationship.
- We're getting on much better now that we don't live together.
B: To continue doing something, especially work.
- I'll leave you to get on then, shall I?
7. Get on with: To start or continue doing something, especially work.
- Stop talking and get on with it.
8. Get out of: Avoid doing something that is your duty.
- She got out of the washing-up every day, even when it was her turn.
9. Get over: To recover from disease.
- Have you gotten over your cold yet?
References