Leo
How to distinguish (Have got& got &have got) I have a girlfriend. I have got a girlfriend. I got a girlfriend. Please explain it for me.
Sep 14, 2011 2:15 PM
Answers · 4
2
The verb "get" has the simple past tense "got". Think of "get" as equivalent to the word "acquire". Unfortunately, it is not that simple. In some dialects of English, the word "got" is the same as "have", indicating possession. The same is true for "have got". As a result, in some dialects of English, especially the southern U.S., the three expressions you reference could be equivalent.
September 14, 2011
6 getting; get + infinitive Getting is sometimes used informally to mean 'startjng', especially in the expressions get moving, get going. We'd better get moving - it's late. With an object, the structure means 'make somebody/something startjng'. Don't get him talking about his illnesses. Once we got the heater going the car started to warm up. With an infinitive, get can mean 'manage', 'have an opportunity' or 'be allowed'. We didn't get to see her - she was too busy. When do I get to see your new baby? There is often an idea of gradual development. He's nice when you get to know him. You'll get to speak English more easily as time goes by. Wayne's getting to be a lovely kid. With an object, the infinitive structure means 'make somebody/something do something' or 'persuade somebody/something to do something': there is often an idea of difficulty. I can't get that child to go to bed. Get Penny to help us if you can. See if you can get the car to start. 7 got and gotten In American English the past participle of get is gotten, except in the structure have got. 8 get and go (movement) Go is used to talk about a whole movement. Get is used when we are thinking mainly about the end of a movement or the arrival. Compare: - I go to work by car and Lucy goes by train. I usually get there first. - I went to a meeting in Bristol yesterday. I got to the meeting at about eight o'clock. We often use get to suggest that there is some difficulty in arriving. It wasn't easy to get through the crowd. I don't know how we're going to get over the river. Can you tell me how to get to the police station? ______________________________________________ Interesting English verb, yes?
September 14, 2011
3 get + adverb particle or preposition Before an adverb particle (like up, away, out) or a preposition, get nearly always refers to a movement of some kind. I often get up at five o'clock. I went to see him, but he told me to get out. Would you mind getting off my foot? In some idioms (see Idioms at the end of this document) the meaning is different – e.g. get to a place (= arrive at ... ); get over something (= recover from); get on with somebody. With an object, the structure usually means 'make somebody / something move'. You can't get him out of bed in the morning. Would you mind getting your papers off my desk? Have you ever tried to get toothpaste back into the tube? The car's OK - it gets me from A to B. 4 get + past participle Get can be used with a past participle. This structure often has a reflexive meaning, to talk about things that we 'do to ourselves'. Common expressions are get washed, get dressed, get lost, get drowned, get engaged/married/divorcee You've got five minutes to get dressed. She's getting married in June. Get + past participle is also used to make passive structures, in the same way as be + past participle. My watch got broken while I was playing with the children. He got caught by the police driving at 120 mph. I never get invited to parties. This structure is less often used to talk about longer, more deliberate, planned actions. Our house was built in 1827. (NOT Our house got huilt in 1827.) Parliament was opened on Thursday. (NOT Parliament got opened ... ) 5 get + object + past participle This structure can be used to mean 'finish doing something'. The past participle has a passive meaning. It will take me another hour to get the washing done. After you have got the children dressed, can you make the beds? Another meaning is 'arrange for something to be done by somebody else'. I must get my hair cut. You ought to get your watch repaired. We can also use the structure to talk about things that happen to us. In this case, get means 'experience'. We got our roof blown off in the storm last week. I got my car stolen twice last year.
September 14, 2011
Leo, Randy's answer is very good, and he is right, the verb get has many different uses. I hope you're interested to read and learn the different ways to use the verb "get", because I copied and pasted an excerpt from great English Usage book that I recommend to anyone learning English. I'm a native English speaker. My vocabulary is over 100 words (that's a joke). But I have learned many things from this book: Practical English Usage written by Michael Swan published by Oxford University Press ISBN 019 4421465 approximately $115 HK / 100 RMB ________________________________________ GET (verb) Get is one of the most common words in English, and is used in many different ways. It is sometimes avoided in a very formal style, but it is correct and natural in most kinds of speech and writing. The meaning of get depends on what kind of word comes after it. With a direct object, the basic meaning is 'come to have'; with other kinds of word, the basic meaning is 'come to be'. 1 get + noun I pronoun With a direct object (noun or pronoun), get usually means 'receive', 'fetch', 'obtain', 'catch' or something similar. I got a letter from Lucy this morning. Can you come and get me from the station when I arrive? If I listen to loud music I get a headache. If you get a number 6 bus, it stops right outside our house. Get can be used with two objects (see 583). Let me get you a drink. Other meanings are sometimes possible. I didn't get the joke. (= 'understand') I'll get you for this. (= 'punish, make suffer') Could I get ... ? is not generally used to order things. Compare: Could I have a coffee? (= Please bring me one.) Could I get a coffee? (= Could I make/buy myself one?) Get + noun/pronoun is not normally used to mean 'become'. Get to be ... is common with this meaning (see paragraph 6, below). Wayne's getting to be a lovely kid. (NOT Wayne’s getting a lovely kid.) 2 get + adjective Before an adjective, get usually means 'become'. As you get old, your memory gets worse. My feet are getting cold. With object + adjective, the meaning is 'make something/somebody become'. I can't get my hands warm. We must get the house clean before Mother arrives. It's time to get the kids ready for school.
September 14, 2011
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