The common word get is a challenge for learners of English because get has many different meanings.

CONJUGARE Get is the present tense form of the verb. Got is the past tense form as well as one of the two alternatives for the past participle. The other alternative for the past participle is gotten, which is generally preferred in the United States. Infinitive: to get Participle: got; gotten (U) Gerund: getting Indicative Present I get you get he gets we get you get they get Perfect Simple I have got; gotten (U) you have got; gotten (U) he has got; gotten (U) we have got; gotten (U) you have got; gotten (U) they have got; gotten (U)

Past I/you/she/he/it/we/they got Past Perfect I/ you/she/he/it/we/they had got; gotten (U) Future I/you/etc will get Future perfect I/etc will have got; gotten (U) Progressive (Continuous) Forms Present I am getting you are getting he is getting we are getting you are getting they are getting Perfect I have been getting you have been getting he has been getting we have been getting you have been getting they have been getting
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Past I was getting you were getting he was getting we were getting you were getting they were getting Past perfect I/etc had been getting

Get, v. t. [gt] To procure; to obtain; to gain possession of; to acquire; to earn; to obtain as a price or reward; to come by; to win, by almost any means; as, to get favor by kindness; to get wealth by industry and economy; to get land by purchase, etc. To make acquisition; to gain; to profit; to receive accessions; to be increased. To arrive at, or bring one's self into, a state, condition, or position; to come to be; to become; -- with a following adjective or past participle belonging to the subject of the verb; as, to get sober; to get awake; to get beaten; to get elected. a) One common meaning is receive. Examples: I didn't get your e-mail message. Are you sure you sent it? Yes, we get a newspaper. It's delivered to our house every morning. You didn't get any mail today. There was nothing in the mailbox. Leah got many nice presents on her birthday.
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We're having a party on Friday to celebrate Ricardo's good luck: he got a wonderful new job! Salim had good luck, too. He got a very high score on the TOEFL. a) Another meaning of GET is become. Examples: Mary left. She got tired of waiting. I get sleepy when I eat a big lunch. What happened? Why did you get angry? Have you heard about Flor? She got engaged! Flor and her fianc will get married in the Spring. We're sorry to hear that Pierre has gotten sick. We all hope Pierre gets better soon! b) A third meaning (an informal, idiomatic one used mostly in casual conversation) is understand. Examples: Question #36 is confusing. Do you get it? Thanks for explaining question #36. I get it now. I don't get it. Why do we have to be there 45 minutes early? This tape isn't very clear, but if you listen carefully, you'll get it. I know you thought Bob's joke was funny, but I didn't get it. Special Note Get is also common in the informal question Get it? This question is a shortened form of Do you get it? and means "Do you understand?" A common affirmative ( + ) answer for Get it? is Got it! Here, "Got it" is also a shortened form-I've got it ( = 'I have it' = 'I understand').
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The negative answer "Get it?" is "No, I don't" or "No, I don't get it." c) Besides meaning "receive," "become," and (for casual conversation) "understand," get can also mean answer or respond to a ringing phone or someone who's at the door.

Examples: The phone's ringing, but I can't get it just now. Can you? I hear the doorbell. Can you get it? There's someone knocking on the front door, but I'm not going to get it. I think it's a salesman. d) Another common meaning is buy. Examples: I got my new shoes at Charlie's Custom Footwear. Where did you get that dress? Will you stop at the store and get some milk? I'll get lunch this time. You can pay the next time. I'm almost out of gas, but I can get some on my way home. If I give you the money, can you get a box of computer disks for me? e) GET can also mean retrieve something (and, often, to bring or take it or them to another place or person) Examples: The letter carrier just delivered the mail. Can you get it? I think I left my keys in the car. I'd better get them. Get your coat. We're ready to leave. I think I left my glasses on the kitchen table. Would you please get them for me?

Jimmy, you left your bike in the driveway. Please get it before your father comes home. The rest of the groceries are in the car. Can you get them? f) Get is also challenging because it's used in many idiomatic expressions--particularly phrasal verbs and verb + preposition combinations. Here's one group: get along: manage (especially with finances) I don't know how Bill is getting along since he lost his job. get along: leave; be on one's way. Look at the time! I'd better be getting along! get along (with): have a polite / friendly relationship (with someone) No, I didn't invite Jerry to the party. He and I don't get along. Sarah gets along with her co-workers very well. get around to: finally do something; do something after delaying it It's late. When are you going to get around to your homework? I'm really tired. I didn't get around to doing my homework until 3:00 AM. get away: escape; take time off from one's normal routine or surroundings The police didn't catch the bank robbers. They got away. I'm going out of town for the weekend. I really need to get away for a while. get away with: do something that usually results in blame or negative consequences, but escape the blame or the negative consequences How did Bob get away with cheating on his exam? Didn't anyone see him? get back: return I know you're leaving on Thursday. When will you get back? get back at (someone): take revenge on someone
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Judy was very angry because her boyfriend forgot about their date. She got back at him by refusing to take his phone calls. get back to (someone): contact someone again; respond to a message Thanks for the call, Jane, but I'm really busy and can't talk just now. I'll get back to you in about 15 minutes. get by: manage / survive under difficult circumstances Yes, Bob and his wife have been having a hard time since he lost his job, but they'll get by.

Special Note Notice that when a verb is used with get around to, the verb is an -ing form: I didn't get around to doing my homework until 3:00 AM. When are you going to get around to cleaning your room? We didn't get around to finishing the report today, but we'll do it tomorrow for sure. get in: arrive I thought Bill's flight would be here by now. When does it get in? get in: enter a small, enclosed vehicle No, Sheila isn't here. She got in her car (her truck, the taxi, a boat, etc.) and left. get into: become very interested and involved in a topic or activity Since Martha got into body building, she's been spending at least two hours a day at the gym. get off: leave a large, enclosed vehicle I hope you haven't been waiting long. When did you get off the plane (train, ship, bus, etc.)? get off (lightly, cheaply, etc.): escape a serious penalty

The bank robbers got off much too lightly: the judge sentenced them to only a year in prison. I thought your speeding ticket would be much more than $30.00. You got off very lightly, in my opinion. get on: enter a large, enclosed vehicle You just missed Bill and Frances. They got on the plane (train, ship, bus, etc.) about 10 minutes ago. get on: mount (get on top of) a horse, bicycle, etc. He got on his horse (donkey, camel, bicycle, motorcycle, etc.) and rode quickly away. get out of: leave a small, enclosed vehicle Because he was lost, he got out of his car (his truck, the taxi, the boat, etc.) and looked around for something that looked familiar. get out of: not have to do something that was scheduled or required. Someone said that Mr. Jones told you it wasn't really necessary for you to make a report on your trip. How did you get out of doing that?

Special Note Note that when a verb follows get out of, the verb is an -ing form: He got out of submitting a report on his trip. He got out of having to pay a deposit for his telephone. She got out of having to take the written part of her driver's license test. get on with: continue; resume The computer network is functioning now, so we can get on with our work. get over: finish; end When do your classes get over? get over (someone): forget; stop remembering
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Bill thought he would never get over his first girlfriend. get over (something): recover from an illness, loss or disappointment James had a bad case of the flu; it took her several weeks to get over it. Yes, Fred is disappointed that he didn't pass the test, but he'll get over it. get rid of: discard Those shoes are falling apart! Why don't you get rid of them? get through: establish communication I've been trying to call Joe for three hours but I've never been able to get through. Do you know what the problem might be? get through with: finish; end What time do you get through with your classes today? get up: rise to a standing position Did you hurt yourself when you slipped and fell on the ice? Can you get up? get up: leave bed after waking He usually gets up at 5:00 AM. He says that early morning is cool and quiet and a good time to think about the day ahead.

Another group of idioms with get is used to show strong feelings or reactions. Some of these idioms are actually insults, so be very careful if you use them! Get real!: Be realistic! This idiom is used when someone seems naive. "Get real!" shows a negative opinion of another person's ideas and means something like "How could you believe that?" Get a life!: Don't be so naive! This idiom is also used when someone seems naive. "Get a life!" is like "Get real!," but stronger.
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It means something like "How could you be so naive that you believe that?" Get lost!: Go away! / Leave me alone! This idiom is a way of dismissing someone angrily. It means something like "I can't stand being with you, so leave!" Get a move on!: Hurry up! This idiom is used when someone seems to be "dawdling"--taking too long to do something. Get the lead out!: Stop delaying and do something! This idiom is like "Get a move on" but stronger. When someone says, "Get a move on!," he/she is impatient. When someone says, "Get the lead out!," he/she is irritated. Get to the point!: What do you really want? (Stop making "small talk" and say what you really want!) This idiom is a way of telling someone that you're tired of hearing him or her make "small talk" and want him or her to say what he/she really wants. Get with it!: Change your thinking or actions now! This idiom is difficult to "translate" exactly, but it's similar to "Get real!" and "Get a life!" "Get with it!" is used as a reprimand for someone whose thinking or actions seem to be unacceptable or inappropriate. Special Notes 1. In Get real!, Get lost!, and Get with it!, get means about the same thing as become: change from one state or situation to another one. 2. In Get a life!, the meaning of get is something like receive and in Get to the Point!, the meaning of get to is something like arrive at. In both Get a move on! and Get the lead out!, the meaning of get is difficult to explain and is best understood as part of the idioms. 3. Be careful! These expressions are often used when someone is angry or irritated and can be understood as insults. With friends, the expressions are sometimes used to show strong surprise at someone's opinion or behavior, but most strangers would definitely consider these expressions to be insulting.

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g) Another use for GET is in the idiom has / have got. In American English, the preferred past participle (third form) for get is gotten when get is used in the present or past perfect tenses. It's important to know this because has got and have got look like present perfect tense, but these two forms are actually used like the simple present tense. Also, they use got, not gotten, and they mean has or have. Examples: I've gotten several letters this week. ( = I've received = present perfect ) I've got several letters. ( = I have = simple present ) She's gotten high marks ever since she started school. ( = She's received = present perfect ) She's got high marks. ( = She has = simple present ) I haven't gotten your report yet, Theo. When are you going to turn it in? ( = I haven't received = present perfect ) I haven't got your report, Theo. You didn't turn it in. ( = I don't have = simple present )

Special Note Many people think that gotten has an "ugly" sound and don't use it in present perfect tense. Instead, they replace it with other words that have the same meaning (for example, received). Affirmative sentences >have< I have a brother. You have a sister.
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>have got< I have got a brother. I've got a brother. You have got a sister.

You've got a sister. He has a cat. She has a dog. It has Bluetooth. We have books. You have a nice room. They have pets. He has got a cat. He's got a cat. She has got a dog. She's got a dog. It has got Bluetooth. It's got Bluetooth. We have got books. We've got books. You have got a nice room. You've got a nice room. They have got pets. They've got pets.

have got is often used in its contracted form even in written language. Negative sentences >have< I do not have a brother. I don't have a brother. You do not have a sister. You don't have a sister. He does not have a cat. He doesn't have a cat. She does not have a dog. She doesn't have a dog. It does not have Bluetooth. It doesn't have Bluetooth. We do not have books. We don't have books. You do not have a nice room. You don't have a nice room.
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>have got< I have not got a brother. or I haven't got a brother. or I've not got a brother. You have not got a sister. or You haven't got a sister. or You've not got a sister. He has not got a cat. or He hasn't got a cat. or He's not got a cat. She has not got a dog. or She hasn't got a dog. or She's not got a dog. It has not got Bluetooth. or It hasn't got Bluetooth. or It's not got Bluetooth. We have not got books. or We haven't got books. or We've not got books. You have not got a nice room. or You haven't got a nice room. or You've not got a nice room.

They do not have pets. They don't have pets. Questions >have< Do I have time? Do you have pets? Does he have a computer? Does she have a mobile phone? Does it have mudguards? Do we have ketchup? Do you have a yellow car? Do they have nice teachers? Negations in questions: Don't you have a brother?

They have not got pets. or They haven't got pets. or They've not got pets.

>have got< Have I got time? Have you got pets? Has he got a computer? Has she got a mobile phone? Has it got mudguards? Have we got ketchup? Have you got a yellow car? Have they got nice teachers?

Haven't you got a brother?

Be careful! 1) The contracted forms 've or 's are only used with have got - not with have. correct I've got a new mobile phone. He's got a new car. incorrect I've a new mobile phone. He's a new car.

2) Do not use an auxiliary with have got - only with have. Be careful when using negations. correct Have you got a garden? Do you have a pet? They haven't got a house.
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incorrect Do you have got a garden? Have you a pet? They haven't a house.

3) >have< cannot always be substituted with >have got<. You can only substitute >have< with >have got< when you talk about possession and relationships. have got I've got a brother. incorrect: I had got an accident. incorrect: We had got lunch. have I have a brother. I had an accident. We had lunch.

Note In American English >have< is dropped in informal speech like in the following example. We've got a problem. -> We got a problem. The combinations has got and have got are idioms that mean has or have. They can also be used with to. When they're used in this way, they mean the same as has to and have to ( = "must" or "be required to"): It's late! I've got to leave! John can't come to the party. He's got to work. Your grades aren't very good. You've got to work harder. Tell Angela she's got to be ready in 10 minutes.

Don't forget that we've got to meet Mr. Brown at 5:00 PM. Special Note Has got to and have got to are almost always contracted to 's got to and 've got to. The "got to" part of each combination is pronounced something like "godda" in everyday speech. Also, the 've is often not pronounced or pronounced very weakly,so you might hear something that sounds like "I gotta go" or "You gotta help me" or "We gotta hurry." Important: "Gotta" is for speaking, not for writing!

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Further explanations Added Emphasis The phrases has got and have got are somewhat informal and are often contracted, as in Hes got and Theyve got. Although this expression has long been criticized as an unnecessary substitution for the verb to have, it is perfectly idiomatic. It simply adds emphasis. In American English, have got is an intensive form of have . For example, if I say, Ive got a really big TV, Im placing more emphasis on my possession of the TV than if I say, I have a really big TV. If you say you havent got any money, youre stressing the fact that youre broke. Note that you can use has got or have got only in the present tense. If you want to talk in the past tense about your enormous TV, you would say, I had a really big TV. You would probably use expressive intonation to add emphasis.

American English Versus British English How often you use have got instead of have depends on where youre from. In American speech, the form without got is used more than in the UK (3), so in other words, Americans tend to say, have and the British tend to say, have got. For example, according to The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, in Britain, youre more likely to hear the question Have you got this book in stock? whereas in America, Do you have this book in stock? would be more common. As Ive said, its perfectly fine to say, have got if youre in America, though it is less formal than plain old have. Even less formal than have gotand probably considered objectionable by most grammariansis simply got by itself. You might have heard of the Spike Lee movie He Got Game. I dont think Spike considered calling it He Has Game. He got is a very colloquial way of saying, he has.

Obligation Have got also has another meaning: to indicate necessity or obligation. Saying, have got is a little stronger than saying, must. So if Im running late, I might tell my friend, I have got to go now, with the emphasis on the word got. And my friend might tell me, You have got to stop being late so often. When were speaking to friends, we might leave out the have, as in I got to go now. We might even say, I gotta go now. These two are
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considered colloquial English. You shouldnt write these two sentences in a formal English essay. You can use must or have to instead.

I have got and I have gotten? In general, "have got" is the present perfect form of "to get" in UK English, while "have gotten" is the US English version. However, even in US English, "have got" is used in certain instances, namely to mean present tensehave (in the sense of possession, or to mean must):

I have got a lot of friends. (=I have a lot of friends) I have got to go now. (=I have to go now/I must go now)

In BrE, have got or have can be used for possession and have got to and have to can be used for the modal of necessity. The forms that include got are usually used in informal contexts and the forms without got in contexts that are more formal. In American speech the form without got is used more than in the UK, although the form with got is often used for emphasis. Colloquial AmE informally uses got as a verb for these meaningsfor example, I got two cars, I got to go. Gotten is used in such contexts as

They've gotten a new boat. (= obtain) They've gotten interested. (= become) He's gotten off the chair. (= moved)

But it is not used in the sense of possession (= have). AmE does not allow *I've gotten the answer. *I've gotten plenty. but uses I've got as in informal BrE. The availability of gotten does however mean that AmE can make such distinctions as the following: They've got to leave (they must leave) They've gotten to leave (they've managed to leave). I try to avoid the "have got" constructions whenever possible. Usually where you feel like saying "I have got" you could substitute the simpler "I have" and no one would be the wiser. Unless you're speaking informally and using got for emphasis, as in "I have got to get out of this place," you can usually just drop that got. As for gotten, I see no harm in using it informally in sentences like "I have gotten quite good at archery," although if you want to speak more formally
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you could say "I have become quite good at archery." Still, who would use the latter when boasting about archery prowess in a bar? EXERCISES I) For each space in each sentence, use the verb Get (in the correct tense) with one of the prepositions from below.

Over On Out Around Through Across Away with Around to By On Up Down

1.

I was late for work because I didn't. in time.

2.

Can we finish this tomorrow? I am really tired and it's .

3.

That fat kid always. of doing sport for some reason or other.

4. The buses in this town are awful and I prefer to use my mountain bike to .

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5.

It is raining again. Weather like this really (me).

6.

The killer his crime because the police couldn't find any evidence.

7. I asked him to look for that report but he said he never had time to doing it. He is lazy, I think!

8. We will find it easier to once you get that part-time job at the supermarket.

9. She never . losing that dream job of hers and has been depressed ever since.

10. He didn't with his boss and finally decided to leave the company rather than stay there working for him.

11.

I can't to Tom on this phone - there's no signal in this building.

12. You need to .to your wife how terrible life would be without her. Maybe then, she will change her mind about the divorce. II) Complete the sentences below using the correct form of the verbs "let," "make," "have," and "get. 1. Sam really wanted a dog, but his parents wouldn't him have a pet.

2. I can't believe she you look at her vacation pictures again last night. We have to look at those stupid pictures every time we go to her house.

3. I don't know how you convince your children to clean up their rooms. I couldn't . my children to clean up their rooms if my life depended on it.
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4. Professor Jones each of her students write an essay describing their future goals in life.

5. Professor Jones her students use a dictionary while they were taking the test.

6. Debbie's husband hates the opera. But after days of nagging, she finally him to go see the new production of La Boheme.

7. Sally me take off my shoes before I went into her house. She said she wanted to keep the carpet clean.

8. Rebecca Smith requested a copy of that expense report, so I the courier take one over to her last week.

9. Diane thinks television is a waste of time, so she won't her children watch TV.

10. Mr. Levine his secretary call Ms. Jackson and reconfirm their meeting on Thursday.

11. Marcus. me drive his new BMW. I couldn't believe how quickly it picked up speed.

12. How did you the doctor to make a house call? I haven't heard of a doctor actually going to a patient's house in years.

13. My boss me get him coffee, pick up his dry cleaning and buy presents for his wife. He can't do anything by himself!
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14. Tommy didn't want to go to his cousin's birthday party, but his mom him go.

15. I can't believe the zoo keeper you feed the snake. That was so cool!

16. The contract was very detailed, and it was essential that the wording be absolutely correct. Therefore, I the translator recheck his work several times to make sure there would be no misunderstandings.

17. Cheryl didn't want to wash her car, so with a little smooth talk she her boyfriend to wash it for her.

18. If you ask me nicely, I'll you lick the bowl after I make the cookies.

19. Dr. Jackson the nurse monitor the patient's condition overnight.

20. The news coverage of the recent tornado was incredibly moving. The interview with the little boy who lost his family in the tragedy everyone cry.

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