Real Grammar - Susan Conrad, Douglas Biber 2009
Meanings of Get
Unit 4 I didn’t get a chance…
What have you learned from your grammar textbook?
The verb get has several uses. (1) It can mean “obtain or receive something.” (2) It can mean “become.” (3) It can show that a person causes something to happen. (4) It can be used for passive voice.
1. I got a letter from my friend.
2. I got hot in the sun.
3. I will get my hair cut tomorrow.
4. The boy got caught when he broke the window.
A
What does the corpus show?
Get is an extremely common verb in conversation because it has so many different uses and meanings. Here are five common meanings for get when it is used as a main verb:
*“Become” is a common meaning for getting + adjective.
B
Get + noun phrase often has a more idiomatic meaning than “obtain or receive.” Here are five common useful expressions with get + noun that are more idiomatic:
* In some expressions, the preposition оf follows the noun phrase.
C
Get is also used in different grammatical structures and idioms:
* See Units 13-15 for more on phrasal verbs with get.
D
Be careful! In writing and formal speaking, more formal and precise verbs and expressions are often used instead of get. For example, writers might use obtain, arrive, or have the opportunity.
Activities
1 Notice in context: Read these conversations aloud with a partner. Then circle each get phrase.
1. Max enters Paulo’s office.
Paulo: Morning, Max.
Max: Morning. Oh, Paulo?
Paulo: Mmm hmmm?
Max: Uh, I need to get a hold of Mr Sunyatta.
Paulo: Okay, so you want his phone number?
Max: Yes. And here’s the form for the project that Nicky is doing.
Paulo: If you get a chance, could you fill it out for me?
2.Two university employees talk.
Mana: I got a call from a student who wanted help contacting, um, that computer science professor. But I think they don’t use their answering machines over in that department.
Diego: You gotta email them.
Mana: Yes, that’s true.
2 Analyze discourse: Look back at Activity 1 and at the get phrases that you circled, write the meaning of each phrase in the margin. Draw an arrow between the phrase and its meaning.
3 Practice the structure: Each of these excerpts from informational writing has a get phrase that is more appropriate for conversation. Circle each get phrase and write a more formal expression to replace it on the line below.
1. Men who were farmers in a training program were asked about the most suitable time of day to take a class. Afternoons were chosen by two-thirds. Their wives also chose afternoons: they could attend classes knowing they would get home in time for the children returning from school.
2. Many employers seek to get a relatively cheap workforce, either by self-employment on special projects or by direct employment of workers who are part-time workers.
3. Computer owners who would like to control a baseball team themselves get a chance to play team manager with two new computer games endorsed by men who have been World Series winners.
4 Practice conversation: Two friends are talking about going to a movie together. They agree to ask another friend to join them. Complete their conversation using get phrases that have the meanings listed in the box. Then practice the conversation with a partner.
A: Did you get a chance to see that new martial arts movie?
B: Not yet. Want to go this Friday?
A: ...
B: ...
A: ...
B: ...
A: ...
B: ...