Phrasal Verbs with Get

Exercises

Explanation

1. The Many Meanings of Get

The verb get can express several different ideas depending on the context. Below are the most frequent meanings you will meet in everyday English:

1. Obtain / acquire something

• I need to get some forms from reception.

• She went to get a ticket for the concert.

2. Take / use transport

• I usually get the tram to work.

• We can get a ride if we don’t want to walk.

3. Receive

• Did you get my voicemail earlier today?

• He got a letter from his cousin last week.

4. Buy / purchase

• Let’s get some bread on our way home.

• I want to get a new backpack for school.

5. Become / change state

• It’s getting windy; we should close the windows.

• You will get better with practice.

6. Arrive

• What time did you get to the meeting?

• Call me when you get to the station.

7. Understand

• I didn’t get the instructions—could you explain again?

• Now I get why everyone liked the movie.

8. Cause something to happen

• You should get your shoes repaired—they’re falling apart.

• We plan to get the garden cleaned this weekend.

Because get is very informal, it is more suitable for speaking than for formal writing, where verbs like receive, arrive, purchase, or understand are usually preferred.

2. Phrasal Verbs with Get

Phrasal verbs are expressions made of a verb plus a preposition or adverb. Get forms many extremely common phrasal verbs. These are essential for communicating naturally in English.

Below are some of the most useful ones:

get on – enter a bus/train/plane/bike

• The bus is here—let’s get on quickly.

get off – leave a bus/train/plane/bike

• We got off at the next stop to change buses.

get in – enter a car or small space

• She got in the car and closed the door quietly.

get out – leave a car or small space

• You can get out now; we’ve reached the school.

get up – leave your bed

• They get up very early during the week.

get back – return

• We hope to get back before the shops close.

get over – recover from illness or difficulty

• I finally got over my cold after a few days of rest.

get on / get along with – have a friendly relationship

• Do you get on with your new classmates?

get across – communicate an idea clearly

• He tried to get across his suggestion, but people didn’t understand at first.

get by – manage with limited resources

• She doesn’t earn much, but she can get by.

get through – reach someone by phone

• I’ve been calling, but I can’t get through to you.

get away with – avoid punishment

• They got away with breaking the rules because no one noticed.

3. Informal Passive with Get

In spoken English, get can be used to form informal passive sentences:

• His bike got stolen last night.

• Our window got smashed in the storm.

This structure is common when describing negative or unwanted events. However, it is not used for formal or factual descriptions:

• Correct: The report was written in March.

• Incorrect: The report got written in March.

4. Have got for Possession

Have got is another common structure using the verb get. We use it to talk about possession in everyday conversation.

Examples

• She’s got a new jacket.

• Have you got a moment to talk?

• I’ve got a headache.

In formal writing, we prefer have:

• We have all the equipment you requested.

The verb get is one of the most versatile and useful verbs in English. Learning its meanings and phrasal verbs will help you understand native speakers more easily and express yourself more naturally.