The Many Ways to Use Get

Everyone wants to sound just like a native English speaker.  One of the most common verbs and maybe one of the most important verbs to master is the verb, “get.”  There is more to GET than you may know.  Let’s look at just how common it is and the many ways you can use it to substitute verbs you have already learned.  Here are 5 ways you can use GET: 

1.      Using GET for ARRIVE: 

Many learners understand that you arrive at a location on a given day.  Although it is most certainly correct to say so, the more commonly used verb is Get. Here are a few examples to help you out: 

What times do your flight arrive?

I get home from school every day at 3:00 p.m.

What time will you get here?

Do you think you can get here by 9:00 a.m. to pick up your books?

I’ll call you when I get there. 

2.      Using GET for BUY: 

Normally when we go shop online or simply spend time with friends, we buy things, like food, drinks and anything else we may want. Here are a few ways to replace GET with Buy in the following ways: 

I need to get some water before I go home.

I got some new shoes that are really comfortable.

I want to get a notebook to take to school for my new class. 

3.      Using GET for UNDERSTAND: 

We all try to understand lots of new ideas throughout the day.  Here are a few examples to show how to substitute GET for the verb, Understand.  Let’s see if you get it. 

This is one of the most common ways to use GET when you understand something by just saying “I got it!”

I don’t get this grammar.  What does it mean?

I get why so many people like to go to the beach—it’s a good place to have fun and stay cool in the summer. 

4.   Another common way to use GET is when we Receive something. Here are some ways to use get in this way: 

It was my birthday last week, and I got so many wonderful gifts.

I ordered workout clothes on Amazon, and I will get it tomorrow.

I prefer getting texts than phone calls.  

5.   In addition, you can use Get to talk about the length of a trip. For example, when we take the bus, we must travel along a street that may sometimes be busy with traffic. In this way, we can discuss how long it takes to move across this street or road.  We have some examples here to help you understand or get it! 

I can drive to New York, but a better way to get there is by plane.

I don’t think I can get there by train. I can only get there by boat.

You can only get to the top of this mountain by hiking up the trail. 

These are 5 common ways to use GET when you want to say, arrive, buy, understand, receive, and travel/move across from one location to another.  This is just the beginning but it is definitely a great start to improving your English and understanding how to use “GET” when you speak English.

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Published on April 29, 2022

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