{"id":37493,"date":"2020-12-04T12:23:10","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T12:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/?p=37493"},"modified":"2023-02-14T13:51:12","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T13:51:12","slug":"english-collocations-with-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/english-collocations-with-get\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Collocations with “Get”, Plus 7 Different Meanings in English"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Try looking up the translation of the word get <\/strong>to your native language in the dictionary. In Portuguese, for instance, there are 17 different translations. In French, there are 15 words that could be translated to get<\/em>. On the one hand, we can say that having a word that means so many different things is very handy. However, for anyone learning English as a second language, it can be very confusing to remember all the situations in which we can use the verb to get<\/strong>. In this blog post, we will explore the different meanings of get<\/em><\/strong>, plus we will introduce you to 15 collocations with <\/strong>get<\/em> that can be very useful in your daily life.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does ‘get’ mean after all? <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Get means… well, many different things. To get<\/em> is a colloquial verb. It is widely used in spoken English, but not so much in formal or academic writing. Whenever you are writing something more formal, you would probably substitute to get<\/em> with one of its equivalents. Let\u2019s take a look at the different meanings of the word get<\/em>, shall we? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\u00a0\u2013 To travel\u00a0or\u00a0arrive\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We can use get<\/em> to substitute these verbs in spoken English. If you want to ask a friend how did she arrive at work on time, you can simply say: \u201cTina, how did you <\/span>get<\/span><\/b> here on time? I thought you would be late!\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"collocations
“We will get there at 5 p.m.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u00a02 – To receive or\u00a0obtain\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If somebody sends you an email, you can say: \u201cI got your email this morning\u201d instead of \u201cI received your email this morning\u201d. You can also use get<\/em> to say that you received a phone call (“I got a call from mom yesterday”) or that you received a package (“I got the package two weeks ago”).  A very common use of the verb to get<\/em> is to say that you received a haircut. You will often hear somebody say: \u201cI need to <\/span>get a haircut<\/span><\/b>. My hair looks terrible!\u201d. When you graduate from college, you can say something like \u201cI got my degree from Harvard.\u201d However, if you are writing an email to a potential employer, you will most likely say \u201cI obtained my degree from Harvard University.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"collocations
\u201cI need to get a haircut<\/strong>. My hair looks terrible!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3 – To become\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can use get<\/em> to talk about changes. For instance, you can say \u201cIt\u2019s getting colder out there.\u201d That means that the temperature is changing and the weather is becoming colder. You can also use get<\/em> to talk about changes in your health and well-being. It is very common to say \u201cI think I\u2019m getting sick\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m getting tired. I should go home.\u201d If it\u2019s your birthday, you may say \u201cOh, I\u2019m turning 30 today. I guess I\u2019m getting old.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"collocations
\u201cOh, I\u2019m turning 30 today. I guess I\u2019m getting old\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4\u00a0–\u00a0To buy, find or bring\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to ask your sister what present she bought for your dad\u2019s birthday, you can just say: \u201cSis, what did you get for dad\u2019s birthday?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She then can answer something along these lines: \u201cOh, I got him a brown pair of shoes\u201d.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another common use of get<\/em> is to ask someone to bring you something. \u201cAnna, can you get me some food on your way home?\u201d Anna can then answer, \u201cSure, would you like me to get you a burrito? That\u2019s what I\u2019m getting for myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"collocations
“Would you like me to get you a burrito?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5 – To hear\u00a0or\u00a0understand\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How often do you talk to Siri on your phone? I do it all the time. However, there are moments in which Siri doesn\u2019t understand me. When that happens, she often says \u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t quite get that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can actually use this sentence whenever you don\u2019t hear or understand what a person is saying to you. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"collocations<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

15 common collocations with ‘get’ you should know <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A collocation is a group of words that often go together. Some examples are heavy rain <\/strong>(you would not say thick rain<\/s>) and high temperature<\/strong> (instead of tall temperature<\/s>, for instance). Other common collocations are: take a break<\/strong>, pay attention<\/strong>, keep calm<\/strong>, and catch a cold<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My advice to really mastering collocations is to try <\/span>not to translate them<\/span><\/b> or try to understand the rules behind each one of them. I would advise you to start using them as often as you can so that they can naturally become a part of your vocabulary.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we will explore 15 of the most common collocations with the verb to get<\/em>.  <\/span>Read more about the most common collocations with do<\/strong> and make<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collocation<\/th>Sentence<\/th>Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
get a call<\/span> <\/span><\/td>Susan got a call<\/strong> from her boyfriend.  <\/span><\/td>Receive<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get a chance<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I never got a chance<\/strong> to say goodbye to her. <\/span><\/td>Find (time)<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get a job<\/span> <\/span><\/td>Richard got a job<\/strong> at Google. He\u2019s very excited! <\/span><\/td>Obtain<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get angry<\/span> <\/span><\/td>My mom gets angry<\/strong> when I don\u2019t make my bed in the morning. <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get divorced<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I think we should get divorced<\/strong>. <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get dressed\/undressed<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I need to get dressed <\/strong>in 15 minutes or I\u2019ll be late for the meeting.  <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get drunk<\/span> <\/span><\/td>Sue got drunk<\/strong> last night.  <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get fired<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I hope I don\u2019t get fired<\/strong>. I really like this job. <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get into trouble<\/span> <\/span><\/td>Mike and Tom always get into trouble.<\/strong>  <\/span><\/td>Find (a problem)<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get married<\/span> <\/span><\/td>When are you two getting married<\/strong>? <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get pregnant<\/span> <\/span><\/td>Mia wants to get pregnant<\/strong> next year. <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get ready<\/span> <\/span><\/td>Are you getting ready<\/strong> for school? <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get some sleep<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I need to get some sleep<\/strong> tonight. I had a long day! <\/span><\/td>Receive<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get upset<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I got upset<\/strong> after reading his email. <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
get worried<\/span> <\/span><\/td>I started to get worried <\/strong>after she didn\u2019t return when she said she would. <\/span><\/td>Become<\/span> <\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get to work: exercises with \u2018get\u2019 <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s get to work and practice the different meanings of get<\/em> with some exercises. Are you ready? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n