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Habla inglés con el Método Callan en Barcelona - Callan Method

The Verb ‘Get’

Let’s take a look at the verb ‘get,’ as it’s a very important verb in English. And considering it has a variety of different meanings, it never hurts to go over it again and refresh our memories.

‘Get’ can mean ‘to receive.’ For example, you can get presents for Christmas, or praise from a colleague. More example sentences:
-He doesn’t get very much mail.
-You don’t get enough credit for all the hard work you put in.

‘Get’ can also mean ‘to become.’ We must remember that in this case, the verb ‘get’ has this meaning when followed by an adjective. For example:
-I’m getting better at the piano.
-I had a sandwich five hours ago; I’m getting hungry.

Another meaning of ‘get’ is ‘to obtain.’ In this way, it may seem similar to ‘receive,’ but it’s used in a different sense. Some examples of this use of ‘get’ are:
-I’ll get that information for you.
-I got this shirt from Zara.

‘To fetch’ is another meaning of ‘get.’ To fetch…what does that mean? We’ve all thought this when first learning ‘get.’ Well, when you think of ‘to fetch,’ think of dogs. What do dogs like to do? Dogs like to fetch. You throw a ball for them, and they fetch it. They go after something, take hold of it, and bring it back. For example:
-Would you like a Coca-Cola? I can get you one.
-She always gets her kids from school around three.

The verb ‘get’ also means ‘to arrive.’ We can get to work, to school, to the cinema, etc. It’s important to remember that although in the majority of cases, we get to a place, there are three exceptions in which we don’t use ‘to’: home, here and there. For example, “I get home at nine o’clock” (NOT: “I get to home at…”).

-When did you get here?
-I got to the concert a half hour late.

Used in certain circumstances, the verb ‘get’ can also mean ‘to understand.’ However, it’s very important to remember that this often has an annoyed, or even slightly aggressive connotation. This is used informally. For example:
-“Ok, ok, I get it!”

-You just can’t do this anymore; how do you not get that?

The last meaning we’ll look at for ‘get’ is ‘to be permitted,’ or ‘to be allowed.’ Here are some examples of this usage:
-As a professional tennis player, he gets to travel all over the world.
-You don’t get to call me that anymore.

A.Edstrom