The verb 'to get' is one of the most frustrating verbs for people learning English to use. It is a verb which is commonly used and has lots of different meanings (it can be used with the meaning of 'to buy', 'to take' etc...).
Although it is possible to write or speak English without using 'to get' a lot, if you want to understand other people, it is necessary to know what these different meanings are.
In this first of two online exercises on the verb 'to get', we will look at some of the most important meanings of the verb 'to get' in English and when and how they should be used.
Click here to go to the next part of this exercise on using the verb 'to get'.
'To get' is a replacing verb. It is a verb that replaces another verb in a sentence but keeps the original verb's meaning. For example with the verb 'to buy':
'I'm going to buy him a computer for Christmas.'
Can also be written,
'I'm going to get him a computer for Christmas.'
Even though the verbs are different, both of the verbs in the sentences have the same meaning, 'to buy'.
The same happens with this next verb, 'to receive':
'I received a computer for Christmas from my father.'
Can also be written,
'I got a computer for Christmas from my father.'
Again, the meaning of the verbs in the two sentences is actually the same, 'to receive'.
There are two important things to remember when using 'to get':
1. It is informal: 'To get' is generally used in informal English. It is not commonly used in formal writing or speaking (e.g. in a presentation or in a report).
2. Context is king: Because 'to get' has so many different meanings, people are only able to understand which meaning of 'to get' is being used by the context of the sentence. For example, in the below sentence, is the meaning of 'to get' either 'to buy' or 'to receive'?
'I got a computer for Christmas for my father.'
In this sentence because of 'for my father', it doesn't make sense that 'got' means 'received'. So, in the context of this sentence it must mean 'bought'. This may seem obvious, but you will see below that 'to get' has a lot more different meanings, so it is easy for people to misunderstand what you are trying to say. For example, in the following example, does 'got' mean 'received' or 'bought'?
'I got a computer at Christmas.'
It is impossible to know from the context of the sentence which it is, it could be both. So, it is very important when using 'to get' that the rest of the sentence or the context confirms which meaning of 'to get' you are using. If not, people listening or reading will either be confused or misunderstand.
So now do the below quiz to learn some of the many different meanings that 'to get' has in English.
In each of the following sentences the verb 'to get' has a different meaning. Choose the verb from sentence's selection box which 'to get' is replacing in the sentence. Use the context of the sentence to decide which verb is the correct one. Only use one verb once. Click on the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.
When the answer is correct, two icons will appear next to the question. The first is an Additional Information Icon "". Click on this for extra information on the word/phrase and for a translation. The second is a Pronunciation Icon "". Click on this to listen to the pronunciation of the word/phrase.
Click here to go to the next part of this exercise on using the verb 'to get'.
Now that you understand the uses of 'to get', practise them. Click on the "" icon under each correct answer and listen to the verb it replaces. Then create your own sentences with the verbs.
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