The
verb to get is used in so many different ways that
students often “get confused”.
Here are
some of the most common meanings:
1) To receive,
obtain
She gets a letter from her cousin very week.
He got a prize for his unusual invention.
They didn‘t get an answer.
2) To arrive
We got to the station on time.
I got home by bus.
3) To persuade
someone to do something
He got her to come to the party.
Get him to help you.
4) To become
To get tired to get married
To get wet
to get drunk
To get
dirty to get angry
To get
ready to get worse
There are very few commonly
used reflexive verbs in the English language. The use of the
verb “to get”, with the meaning “to become” takes the place of
the reflexive verb. If in the dictionary, the student sees a
verb followed by “oneself”, they know it is a true reflexive
verb. The most common ones are:
To enjoy oneself …I enjoyed myself at the
party.
(otherwise the verb “to enjoy” …….I enjoyed the
show.)
To cut oneself……. He cut himself with a knife.
(otherwise the verb “to cut”……..Please cut the meat.
To hurt oneself…… She hurt herself when she
fell.
(otherwise the verb “to hurt”…….He hurt his back .)
I like to start my lesson
writing this on the blackboard:
Don’t get discouraged when trying to use the verb “to get”.
I would suggest that the
students try making up some of their own sentences, using “to
get” with the above meanings. Some students can work at the
blackboard so the teacher can see if they are having any
difficulties.
A group of students can write only
questions.
When did you get
home last night?
Did you get a letter today?
When will they get married?
A second group can write
sentences that can be transformed into
questions.
He got drunk at
Mary’s birthday party.
Where did he get drunk?
She got John to drive her to school.
Who did she get to drive her to school?
They got a television for their anniversary.
What did they get for their anniversary?
Another way is to form the
negative imperative.
Don’t get angry! Don’t get distracted!
Don’t get wet! Don’t get
upset!
Don’t get
drunk! Don’t get irritable!
The more they practice using this unique verb in all these
situations, the better they will become at using it in
conversation.
A
Nice Thought:
“From what we get,
we make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”