Carlos
How to use "get"? Hi, i'm very confused when people use "get" in a sentence! Can you help me?
May 9, 2016 4:46 PM
Comments · 4
2

Hi Carlos! You can use "get" and "getting" in the future and present tense. "Got" is past tense".

"Get" has a lot of different definitions, which makes it confusing. Here are some (but not all) definitions:

1. To obtain or receiving something.

Examples: "I will get a gift." (Future tense) 

             "She got a gift." (Past tense)

        or "Can you get me a drink, please?"

2. To reach a state or condition.

Examples:

"It is starting to get late. I am getting tired." (Present tense with the verb 'to be' in present tense ('is' and 'am')).

"I will get motion sickness on the boat." (Future tense).

3. To move or go somewhere.

Examples:

"She got on the motorcycle." or "He needs to get on the bus."


If you want to learn and practice the use of the word "get", as well as many other complicated words in the English language, I offer tutoring lessons. "Get", "getting", "got",and  "gets" are common words and I would be happy to go into greater detail with you!

Have a great day!

May 9, 2016
2

The only other time I can think of that it's used, is when you "get" a joke or an explanation.

If someone tells a joke and someone says "Oh, I get it!" it means they understood the joke.

If they don't get it, they don't understand the joke.

The same goes for when someone gets an explanation - If someone explains something to you, and you "get it", it means you fully understand what they mean.


Hope that helps!

May 9, 2016
1

Don't forget that there is also the "causative" use of the verb "get".  There are several causative verbs: get, make, let, have, and help. 

"To get someone to do something" means that in some way you convinced someone else to do something.  For example, the teacher got the students to stay late after school.  "Have" is also possible here as well as "make".  But "get" implies some kind of trickery or bribery or convincing.

For more information and examples see this page: http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/let.html


Hope that helps.

May 9, 2016
1

"Get" is a future-tense verb. It can actually mean a few different things.

The past-tense version is "Got", and the present-tense version is "Getting".


It can mean to obtain something. If "get" comes before a noun, it means the subject of the sentence is going to have something they didn't have before.

"I'm going to get a drink." - The person is going to buy or find something to drink.

"Can you get me some food?"  - The person is asking someone else to bring them some food.

"I got a haircut." - The person had someone cut their hair earlier.

"I'm getting a dog." - The person is buying or adopting a dog.


It can mean to become something. If "get" comes before an adjective, it means the subject of the sentence is going to change.

"It's going to get bigger." - The thing the person is talking about is going to become bigger.

"If we go outside we'll get wet." - It's raining outside, so if they go outside they'll be wet.

"My brother got fat." - The person's brother is now fat, and he used to be skinnier.

"I'm getting hot." - The person is starting to become hot, and they are continuing to become hotter.


(more in another comment)

May 9, 2016