THE ‘GET’

MASTERCLASS
Your guide to...

SENTENCE
COLLOCATIONS VERB FORMS
STRUCUTRES

IDIOMS PHRASAL VERBS AND MORE!

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ‘GET’

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The ‘Get’ Masterclass

Welcome to this week’s masterclass focused entirely on ‘get’! In this lesson,
we’re going to look at the many functions of the word ‘get’, making it easier for
you to use this versatile word correctly. You'll learn about 'get' with adjectives,
nouns and various verb forms. We'll also cover how 'get' is used in special
sentences and end with some common phrases with 'get'. Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents
Here’s a quick breakdown of each section of this week’s lesson so that you can
easily jump to any topic you would like to review.

Content Pages

Verb Forms 2

Get + Adjective 2 -3

Get + Noun/Noun Phrase 3-6

Get + -ing verb/to-infinitive 6-7

Have/Has Got 7-8

The Passive Voice and Causative Structures 8

Phrasal Verbs 9-10

Collocations 10-11

Idioms 12-13

Test 14-16

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Verb Forms
Let’s start with the verb form ‘get’, which is an irregular verb.

Present Simple

get → /ɡet/

Past Simple

got → /ɡɒt/

Past Participle

British American

got → /ɡɒt/ gotten → /ˈɡɒtn/

‘Gotten’ is also used in some regional varieties of British English. In this lesson,
I’m going to use ‘got’ as the past participle, but you can use either. Now, let’s
look at our first usage of ‘get’.

Get + Adjective
We use get followed by an adjective to talk about things changing and to say we
reach a particular state or condition.

In this context, you might think of get as become.

It’s getting dark. → It’s becoming dark.

I’m getting tired. → I’m becoming tired.

Let’s look at a few more examples on the next page.

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Eat up - your dinner’s getting cold.

It was cold this morning but it’s getting warmer now.

We can use comparative adjectives, like ‘warmer’.

We got married last year.

‘Married’ is an adjective.

I got used to waking up early when my children were little.

‘Get used to’ is a phrase meaning to become familiar.

We can also use get + object + adjective to say that we make someone or
something change in some way.

Can you get the dog ready to go for a walk, please?

Get + Noun/Noun Phrase

Now, let’s talk about some more uses of get when it is followed by a noun or a
noun phrase. We’re going to do a little quiz!

Read these four sentences that have get in them. I will also give you four verbs
that have the same meaning as ‘get’ in each sentence.

Can you match the uses of get to the verbs?

1. I got a new dress for my birthday. buy

2. We got a bus to the airport. receive

3. We got to Rome at 5pm. take

4. Will is going to get a new coat in the sale. arrive

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Alright, let’s go through the answers:

Note:
Yes, ‘got’ could
1. receive - I got/received a new dress for my birthday. mean ‘bought’
here. However, in
no. 4, ‘got’ cannot
Get can mean ‘receive’. Here are a couple more examples:
mean ‘received’.

I hope Julie gets a good mark on her physics exam.

The orchestra got a huge round of applause.

2. take - We got/took a bus to the airport.

Get can mean ‘take a form of transport.’ You can ‘get a taxi’ or ‘get a train’.

3. arrive - We got to/arrived in Rome at 5pm.

So, get can mean ‘arrive’. ‘Get’ is often followed by the preposition ‘to’. ‘Arrive’ is
usually followed by ‘in’ or ‘at’. Remember that ‘get home’ is a common exception
- we don’t use a preposition!

I got to the restaurant 10 minutes early.

I arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes early.

4. buy - Will is going to get/buy a new coat in the sale.

Get also means ‘buy’, as in the example sentence. It also means ‘obtain’. ‘To
obtain’ means ‘to receive something by making an effort’. For example, we often
say you ‘get a job’, which has this meaning. So, let’s recap:

1. get = receive
2. get = take a form of transport
3. get = arrive
4. get = buy/obtain

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Let’s look at 4 more sentences with 4 new verbs that could replace get.

5. I’m getting a headache. develop

6. Can you get me my phone, please? bring

7. It got to 6 o’clock and they still weren’t there. understand

8. I didn’t get the joke. reach

Let’s see how you did!

5. develop - I’m getting/developing a headache.

We often use get to talk about having an illness or an illness starting.

I got the flu last winter and I was in bed for two weeks.

6. bring - Can you get/bring me my phone, please?

We can use get to mean ‘bring’. Often, we use two objects after ‘get’ with this
meaning. Here, ‘me’ is the first object (the indirect object) and ‘my phone’ is the
second object (the direct object). Here’s another example:

I got/brought you some books from the library.

The two objects are ‘you’ and ‘some books’.

7. reach - It got to/reached 6 o’clock and they still weren’t there.

Finally, get can mean ‘reach’, as in reach a time or stage. Notice that in the
example sentence, it was ‘got to’ but just ‘reach’, without a preposition.

I can’t believe I got to 50 without ever breaking a bone!

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8. understand - I didn’t get/understand the joke.

Get can also be used to mean ‘understand’. We often use it with jokes or
regarding information, like a lesson or film. For example -

I didn’t get the point of the film.

To recap again:

1. get = develop/have an illness

2. get = bring/give
3. get = reach a time/stage
4. get = understand

Get + -ing verb/to-infinitive

Now let’s look at what happens when get is followed by an -ing verb or a to-
infinitive.

Get + -ing verb

Get + -ing verb often means ‘start’ or ‘happen’. With an object, it means ‘make
something start’ or ‘make something happen’.

Sorry, I’m late. I got talking to Jessica.

I started talking to Jessica.

I can’t get the car going. I think the battery’s flat.

I can’t make the car start. The car is the object.

Get + to-infinitive

We use get + to-infinitive to talk about managing to do something, being

allowed to do something or having the opportunity to do something.

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I didn’t get to see him.

We got to ride the roller coaster twice.

These examples could have any of the meanings I mentioned above - you might
have to ask the person speaking to clarify.

Have/Has Got
Now I want to talk about got as part of the structure ‘have’ or ‘has got’.

‘Have got’ means the same as ‘have’ when we talk about things like possession,
illnesses and relationships. We often use contractions - I’ve got, she’s got -
instead of the full form. You can only use it in the present simple tense.

Have you got a pen?

Camilla’s got a headache.
I’ve got one sister and two brothers.
I haven’t got any brothers or sisters.

‘Have got’ is considered less formal than ‘have’ in these sentences. You’re more
likely to hear it in spoken English. ‘Have got’ is also more common in British
English than in American English in this context. In more formal language or in
American English, people tend to use ‘have’ more often.

Do you have a pen?

Camilla has a headache.
I don’t have any brothers or sisters.

We also use ‘have’ or ‘has got’ when we talk about obligation. In this case, it is
followed by a to-infinitive. We replace 'have/has to' with 'have/has got to'.

Have you got to finish all that work today?

I’ve got to go, sorry.

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You’ll often hear ‘have got to’ contracted to ‘gotta’ /ˈɡɒtə/ - I gotta go. Again,
‘have got to’ is less formal than ‘have to’ and ‘gotta’ is really informal!

The Passive Voice and Causative Structures

We use get in several ways in the passive voice and in causative structures.

1. Get can replace ‘be’ in passive sentences with the structure ‘get + past
participle’. Using ‘get’ is more informal.
Note:
‘Get’ and ‘be’ actually function as
Kathy got promoted yesterday. auxiliary verbs in this structure.

2. Get can replace ‘have’ in causative structures. Again, ‘get’ is less formal than
‘have’. We use the causative when we talk about causing people to do things
or causing something to happen. In active sentences, the structure is ‘get +
person + to-infinitive’.

I’ll get my grandpa to make us some sandwiches before our hike tomorrow.
I’ll persuade my grandpa to do this.

In passive causative sentences, the structure is get + object + past participle.

Pete got his teeth whitened.

Someone whitened Pete’s teeth.

3. Get can also replace ‘have’ in sentences with the get + object + past participle
structure with a different meaning. We use it to say that something happened
to us, often something negative.

We got our van broken into last night.

We did not arrange for someone to break into our van; it just happened!

Alright, I think it’s time we shift gears and learn some phrasal verbs, collocations
and idioms that use ‘get’.

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Phrasal Verbs
We’re starting with phrasal verbs. Most of these phrasal verbs also have multiple
meanings; I’m introducing one of the most common meanings and uses here.

1. to get away /ˌɡet əˈweɪ/ - to go on holiday

We want to get away for a few days in August.

2. to get over sth./sb. /ˌɡet ˈəʊvə/ - to feel better after an illness or a bad
experience
It took me a week to get over my cold.
You really need to get over her!

3. to get back /ˌɡet ˈbæk/ - to return to a place

I got back late last night.

Note:
4. to get on /ˌɡet ˈɒn/ - to have a good relationship
We often add ‘well’ - ‘get
My parents and I have always got on. on well’.

‘Get on’ is often followed by ‘with someone’ - you ‘get on with someone’.
Do you get on with your workmates?

‘Get along’ or ‘get along with’ is a synonym for ‘get on’. And I have a bonus idiom
now: ‘get on like a house on fire’, meaning ‘like someone very much and become
friends quickly’. It’s one of my favourite idioms!

I met her at school and we got on like a house on fire.

5. get together /ˌɡet təˈɡeðə/ - to meet someone, often to talk about something
Kerry and I will get together next week to discuss the party.

‘Get together’ can also be followed by ‘with someone’ - get together with
someone.
I got together with my colleagues to plan the upcoming event.

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Finally, ‘get-together’ /ˈɡet təɡeðə/ is also a noun. A ‘get-together’ is an

informal meeting or party, often for a particular purpose.
We’re having a get-together on Saturday to say goodbye to Abdullah.

And here are 5 additional phrasal verbs I think you should know and, more
importantly, start using.

to get through (to sb./sth.) /ˌɡet θruː/ - to successfully make contact with
someone (usually by telephone)
Dave finally got through to the customer service department after
waiting on hold for an hour.

to get (sth.) across /ˌɡet əˈkrɒs/ - to successfully communicate an idea or a

message
Mario struggled to get his point across during the presentation.

to get ahead /ˌɡet əˈhed/ - to make progress, particularly in life or work

She's really working hard to get ahead in her music career.

to get around to /ˌɡet əˈraʊnd tu:/ - to find the time to do something

I haven't got around to cleaning the garage yet.

to get by /ˌɡet ˈbaɪ/ - to manage to survive or to do okay with the resources

available
After Haruka lost her job, they had to get by on a single income.

Collocations
Next, let’s look at some common collocations with ‘get’.

1. get to know - to slowly start to learn more about someone and become more
familiar with them
I really want to get to know my colleagues better.

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2. get in trouble - to face problems because you’ve done something wrong or

against the rules
You can use ‘in’ or ‘on’ in this sentence:
I need to get home in time or I’ll
'In time' suggests arriving before a
get in trouble with my parents. deadline to avoid negative outcomes.
'On time' implies meeting a scheduled or
3. get the impression - to form an expected time precisely.
opinion or get a feeling about someone or something
We got the impression that Jules was bored.

4. get the joke - to understand the joke

Everyone laughed but I didn’t get the joke.

You’ll often hear people say, ‘I don’t get it’, meaning I don’t understand the joke,
or just ‘I don’t understand what’s happening.’

5. get some sleep - used to suggest it’s a good idea to go to bed and rest
I need to get some sleep before my exam tomorrow.

6. get a reaction - to make someone show how they feel

I didn’t get a reaction from my boss when I shared my idea.

7. get permission - to be allowed to do something by someone else

You need to get permission from your mum to use her iPad.

8. get the message - to understand what someone is trying to tell you without
saying it directly
I got the message loud and clear when she stopped returning my calls.

9. get a/the chance - to have the opportunity to try or do something

I'm excited to have got the chance to show you all what I can do!

10. get the point - to understand the main idea of what someone is saying
You cut out there for a second but I think I get the point.

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Idioms
In our final section of this masterclass, I want to take a look at 5 idioms with
‘get’. But first, it’s quiz time again! Read each of the sentences containing the
idioms with one word missing. Then, I want you to choose a word from the list I
give you to complete them. Here are the sentences and the words:

1. That loud noise is really getting on my ________. rid

2. I need to get ________ of my old school books. feel

3. You're going to have to get your ________ together if you

nerves
want to pass the exam.

4. I'm starting to get a ________ for this place. act

5. You can't always get your own ________!

way

How did you do? And do you know what those idioms mean? Don’t worry if not,
I’m going to explain them now.

1. to get on sb.’s nerves - to annoy

The students’ constant chatter is getting on my nerves.

2. to get rid of sth. - to throw something away or remove something or someone

I need to get rid of some of the old clothes in my wardrobe.
Note:
3. to get your own way - to get or do what you want, You can replace ‘your’ with
often despite other people trying to stop you other possessive adjectives,
like ‘my’ and ‘her’.
My daughter wanted to wear her pyjamas to
the supermarket today, and of course, she got her own way.

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4. to get your act together - to become organised or behave more responsibly

Rich finally got his act together and now he’s got a job and he’s saving for a
flat.

5. to get a feel for sth. - to begin to understand something

After a few lessons, Johan started getting a feel for playing the guitar.
I’m getting a feel for how to use the word ‘get’.

I also said that I would give you additional ‘get’ idioms, so here are 5 more
really great idioms.

6. to get cold feet - to start feeling nervous or scared about a decision or

something you have planned to do
Joanna was excited about skydiving but got cold feet when she saw the
aeroplane.

7. to get the hang of sth. - to learn how to do something or use something

After practising for a week, I finally got the hang of driving a manual car.

8. to get the ball rolling - to start something, especially something important

We’re ready to get the ball rolling on the new project.

9. to get a grip (on yourself) - to gain control over your emotions or a situation
You need to get a grip on yourself before the interview.

10. to get out of hand - to become difficult to control

The party got out of hand when too many people showed up unexpectedly.

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Test
Read the passage below and decide how many words or phrases you
could replace with ‘get’ or a phrase containing ‘get’.

When I left university, I obtained a job with a law firm in

London. Unfortunately, two months before I was due to
start, I received some bad news.

Because of some financial problems, I would have to

start my job a year later than I had expected. I was so
disappointed that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to
move to London with all of my friends. The firm was
giving me £10,000 to say sorry, but it didn’t help.

I spent a month feeling sorry for myself, but then I

became more organised and made a plan. I was going to
go on holiday for a bit. I knew I might never have the
chance to spend a few months doing nothing ever again.
So, I threw away loads of old clothes and asked my
parents to store some things at their house. I set off with
nothing but a tiny backpack and a plane ticket. It was the
best year of my life.

Continue to the next page to reveal the answer.

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Test Answers
There are a total of 8 words and phrases that can be replaced with ‘get’
or a phrase containing ‘get’.

When I left university, I obtained a job with a law firm in

London. Unfortunately, two months before I was due to
start, I received some bad news.

Because of some financial problems, I would have to

start my job a year later than I had expected. I was so
disappointed that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to
move to London with all of my friends. The firm was
giving me £10,000 to say sorry, but it didn’t help.

I spent a month feeling sorry for myself, but then I

became more organised and made a plan. I was going to
go on holiday for a bit. I knew I might never have the
chance to spend a few months doing nothing ever again.
So, I threw away loads of old clothes and asked my
parents to store some things at their house. I set off with
nothing but a tiny backpack and a plane ticket. It was the
best year of my life.

Continue to the next page to see the text rewritten with ‘get’ and phrases
contaning ‘get’.

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Test Answers
Here is the rewritten text containing ‘get’ and phrases containing ‘get’.

When I left university, I got a job with a law firm in

London. Unfortunately, two months before I was due to
start, I got some bad news.

Because of some financial problems, I would have to

start my job a year later than I had expected. I was so
disappointed that I wouldn’t get to move to London with
all of my friends. The firm was giving me £10,000 to say
sorry, but it didn’t help.

I spent a month feeling sorry for myself, but then I got

my act together and made a plan. I was going to get
away for a bit. I knew I might never get the chance/get to
spend a few months doing nothing ever again. So, I got
rid of loads of old clothes and got my parents to store
some things at their house. I set off with nothing but a
tiny backpack and a plane ticket. It was the best year of
my life.

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