get
part of speech
verb (get, gets, got, gotten/got, getting)
meaning for a pupil
1) To get is to receive or be given: get a present. tree →
2) To get is to go and bring something: get your coat. tree →
3) To get is to become: get wet, get better. tree →
4) To get to a place is to arrive there. tree →
5) To get something can mean to understand it: I get it! tree →
6) To get can mean to catch an illness or a bus: get a cold, get the bus. tree →
7) (casual) «Got» often means «have»: «I've got 3», «you got any?»; «gotta» means «have got to, must»; «get this» means «listen to this surprising thing». tree →
8) (rough) «Get lost!», «get out!», «get stuffed!» (UK, Australia) tell someone rudely to go away; «I'll get you» is a threat. tree →
9) (formal) The exam voice says «obtain», «acquire», «receive», «procure», «be in receipt of». tree →
sense in the lessons
receiving more («gets N more» = add); or receiving one share («How many does each child get?» = divide); in everyday life «get up», «get dressed», «get on/off the bus», «get lost», «get ready», «get better»; in maths the result: «add 3 and 4 and you get 7»; in casual talk «got» = have, «gotta», «get this»; in rough talk «get lost», «get out»; in the exam voice «acquires», «obtains», «is in receipt of»
examples
- Sam has 7 cards. Sam gets 8 more cards. tree →
- How many does each child get? tree →
- Ella got 6 stickers from her teacher. tree →
- Add 5 and 5 and you get 10. tree →
- Get your coat; it's cold. tree →
- I get up at seven every morning. tree →
- Don't get wet in the rain! tree →
- Oh, now I get it! tree →
- u got any more? i only got 3 left tree →
- Get lost, they're my sweets! tree →
- Gotta go, mum's here. tree →
- Sam, being in possession of 7 cards, subsequently acquires a further 8; determine the total. tree →
- I have not got my boots! tree →
note
«gets N more» or «acquires N more» = add; «how many does each … get» after sharing = divide. Trap: the one who gives loses what the other gets. Past «got»; US English also «gotten». «I've got 3» means I have 3 now, not that I just received 3. «get» has many meanings: read the words after it (get up, get on, get better). «Get lost!» is a rude «go away», not a real wish to lose someone.
In the corpora
- Job hunting means searching adverts and sending applications, often dozens before getting anywhere; many get no reply at all.
- If prices rise and pay doesn't, a person is really getting poorer each year.
- These things are worrying, but they are almost never anyone's fault at home, and most families get through them.
- Benefits are paid for by everyone's taxes as a safety net, and many families who work get some help too.
- A welcome card from new neighbours is a friendly hello, and getting on with neighbours makes life easier.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «get» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.