grammar get

1• I got an email from Marc today saying he was leaving me!• If you’re going to the post office, could you get me some stamps?• Let’s not bother with a taxi – we can get the bus.• When do you think we’ll get to Paris?

1 get + noun• I got an email from Marc today saying he was leaving me!• If you’re going to the post office, could you get me some stamps?• Let’s not bother with a taxi – we can get the bus.• When do you think we’ll get to Paris?

received

arrive in

Take; catch

buy; bring; fetch

Get to + a place

2• We’d better go home. It’s getting dark.• I seem to have got very forgetful recently.• The traffic gets worse in the city centre everyday.• I don’t think my mother will get used to living on her own.

2 get + adjective• We’d better go home. It’s getting dark.• I seem to have got very forgetful recently.• The traffic gets worse in the city centre everyday.• I don’t think my mother will get used to living on her own.

become

3• Did you know Dan got sacked last week?• My husband got caught on the motorway driving at 150 km/h.

3 get + past participle• Did you know Dan got sacked last week?• My husband got caught on the motorway driving at 150 km/h.

was sacked

was caught

To replace the verb be in a passive

structure.

4• I’m going to get my hair cut next week.• I need to get my passport renewed – it runs out in a couple of months.

4 get something done• I’m going to get my hair cut next week.• I need to get my passport renewed – it runs out in a couple of months.

Have something done

= have my hair

cut

= have my passport renewed

5 • We need to get someone to fix the central heating – it’s not working properly.• Could you get Jane to finish the report? I’m too busy to do it this afternoon..

5 get + somebody + infinitive • We need to get someone to fix the central heating – it’s not working properly.• Could you get Jane to finish the report? I’m too busy to do it this afternoon..

= ask someone

to fix

= convince Jane to finish

Get somebody to do something means to

“make”, “tell”, “persuade” or “ask”.