**Some more uses of 'get' for learners of English**

Question

Please remember - there is no shame in not knowing, so long as you keep trying you are doing a good job!

An audio recording of me reading these examples is here: Some more uses of 'Get'

Here are the first 10 examples, in case you missed them Some uses of 'Get' for learners of English

Here are 11 more examples of uses of the verb 'to get'. It's often combined with other words to make a 'phrasal verb' (as in Spanish you have 'tener que', 'soñar con', 'pensar en' etc)

Instructions: I'll write a sentence in English using a conjugation of 'get', and you can try to think of a way to express the same meaning using a different word/s.

Example:

•Get me another knife from the kitchen please. ___________ (answer is fetch or bring)

In a while I will come back and type in my model answers.

• He got the last bus home. _________________

• Will you get the door please? ____________________

• It's getting a bit late to do that. _______________________

• I've got to post these letters for my mum. _________________

• He got killed by a terrorist. _____________ (Ugh that's a horrible use in my opinion!)

• How are you getting on with your dissertation? ______________

• She got to her feet with a groan. _____________

• I've got him!! _______________

• You just don't get it, do you? _____________

• The teacher is very good at getting her ideas across. ____________

• We get along very well. _______________ (to 'get along' can have 2 meanings, can you try to give both?)

Thanks so much for the exercise Sally :) - 00b6f46c, Dec 30, 2010

I remember one English master caning us for using "got" , how it has changed. - ray76, Dec 30, 2010

Thank goodness they have Ray! They still don't like 'get' though, I'm sure of that! - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

Answer 1

In a while I will come back and type in my model answers. smile

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  He got the last bus home. __**caught**_______________
*

  Will you get the door please? ______**open, answer soembody ringing the bell** ______________
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  It's getting a bit late to do that. ___hmmm tricky, hehe, no idea for a substitute____________________
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  I've got to post these letters for my mum. ___**I have to**______________
*

  He got killed by a terrorist. __**was killed**___________ (Ugh that's a horrible use in my opinion!)
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  How are you getting on with your dissertation? ____**advancing**__________
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  She got to her feet with a groan. ______**stood up**_______
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  I've got him!! ___**caught him**____________
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  You just don't get it, do you? ____**understand**_________
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  The teacher is very good at getting her ideas across. _____**explaining, making herself understood**_______
*

  We get along very well. ___we are friends, ____________ (to 'get along' can have 2 meanings, can you try to give both?)

Hey wait a minute I thought I'd be the first one to try !! grrrrr - 00b6f46c, Dec 30, 2010

I'm still thinking about 'getting a bit late' myself! Or hoping someone will do it for me. ;) Super, Heidi - do you have any ideas about a second meaning for 'get along well'? - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

Answer 2

• He got the last bus home. ________to catch / caught ________

• Will you get the door please? __________open__________

• It's getting a bit late to do that. ___________to become____________

• I've got to post these letters for my mum. _______will I can't find the meaning for this one it just means that : I've to post these ....__________

• He got killed by a terrorist. ______was_______ (Ugh that's a horrible use in my opinion!)

• How are you getting on with your dissertation? ______doing________

• She got to her feet with a groan. ______reached_______

• I've got him!! _______to have - to reach - to catch ________

• You just don't get it, do you? ______understand_______

• The teacher is very good at getting her ideas across. _____delivering_______

• We get along very well. _______to agree - have smooth relations________

Any other meaning for the last one lovely? Also, I should have said that the second sentence can have 2 meanings...;) - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

Well done, I will post my models in a while, I promise. Oh, and could you replace 'doing' - although we would definitely say it, it's still 'one of those' catch-all verbs rather than specific! - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

'Reached to her feet' is not correct though, see Cogu or Heidi's answer for that. :) - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

Answer 3

Here are my model answers, any other suggestions from other native speakers are of course welcome, maybe there are some differences overseas from the UK?

•He got the last bus home. Caught or took

•Will you get the door please? Several possible answers here - Open, close, answer (somebody knocking or ringing the bell) Hold the door open.

•It's getting a bit late to do that. I think becoming is best here, we would rarely say it, in fact I think you'd only see it written.

•I've got to post these letters for my mum. I have to or I must

•He got killed by a terrorist. was killed (one would assume murdered from this, Cogu, yes.)

•How are you getting on with your dissertation? progressing. coping We would also ask 'how are you doing with.....

•She got to her feet with a groan. stood up

•I've got him!! _Usually caught, occasionally it could mean understood.

•You just don't get it, do you? understand. Grasp is another good more colloquial verb for this meaning.

•The teacher is very good at getting her ideas across. Communicating, explaining, delivering, transmitting in order of my preference.

•We get along very well. A little tricky to substitute for the most common meaning - It means 'we are on friendly terms/are friends', I like 'have smooth relations' too, another way of using 'get' here is indeed 'get on well'.

• The second use, which Nila gets closest to with survive, is to live comfortably, without hardship.

Thanks for the answers Sally :)) - 00b6f46c, Jan 4, 2011

Answer 4

Thank you, Gal! Wonderful exercise, although this time was difficult! I'm sure that I made several mistakes. I just can't get on with so many uses!

He took the last bus home.

Will you close the door please?

It's being a bit late to do that.

I've sent these letters for my mum.

He was murdered by a terrorist.

How are you going/coping with your dissertation?

She stood up with a groan.

I've caught/understood him!!

You just don't understand it, do you?

The teacher is very good at transmiting/explaining her ideas.

We get on/agree/advance very well.

2 meanings for 'I've got him'!! Nice :D The third sentence is hard to improve, as I said to Heidi - 'being' doesn't really do it although you would be understood. Later I'll post another verb for the last one too, it has 2 uses. :) - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

Answer 5

oh, I see you already posted, jeje, yes, of course, to get along , to do well, I knew that. Hmmm, you were looking for murdered? I see

Sorry Heidi, is that a little confusing? I wasn't looking for 'murdered'.

However, Cogu put it as her answer, so I added for her benefit that one could assume that they had been murdered, given this context.

Was killed is precisely what I was looking for.

Answer 6

He got killed by a terrorist.

Well, you can say: a terrorist killed him.

He was killed and he got killed are passive.

to get along...hmmmm, I would have to look that up

oh, I see you already posted, jeje, yes, of course, to get along , to do well, I knew that. Hmmm, you were looking for murdered? I see - 00494d19, Jan 4, 2011

Answer 7

Whohooooooo, another excercise

Sally, please make a compilation of the excercises in a reference areticle, chic I am sure you can create already.

For example: one part for the slang, another part for these kind of exercises...all in one reference article. Later you can add more once the article has been created.

I would like to add that to the Learning resources.

I'll try Heidi! I'll investigate the others and try to copy the style/format. :) - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

I'm ashamed to say I hadn't seen all of your translation exercises until now. So many! :) - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

Answer 8

He caught/took the last bus home

Will you hold the door open, please?

It's becoming a bit late to do that.

I have to post these letters for my mum

He was killed by a terrorist

How about your dissertation?

She reached to her feet with a groan

I take him

You just don't grasp it, do you?

The teacher is very good at communicating her ideas.

We get on with each other

We survive very well

Very nice, another possible correct meaning for 'get the door'. I like 'grasp' too. 'Survive' is pretty good, you're the only person who found that meaning for 'get along well'. See Heidi or Cogu's answer for 'got to her feet'. - galsally, Dec 31, 2010

'How about your dissertation' is sort-of understandable in English but Heidi's is the best so far for that sentence. :) - galsally, Dec 31, 2010