Confusing Words: Confusing Words: Get (#12)

Confusing Words:
Get (#12)

More Idioms with Get (#4)

Get is a very challenging word in English--because it
has many very different meanings and because it is
used in many expressions--particularly phrasal verbs
and verb + preposition combinations. We saw several
of these combinations in Idioms with Get (#1, #2,
and #3).

Another group of idioms uses get followed by
specific verbs and verb forms:

get going: leave

Wow! It's really late! I'd better
get going!

get going: become active or productive

Some people are instantly awake,
but I'm not. It takes me a long time
to get going in the morning.

get started (with): begin (with).

The meeting got started at 9:35 AM.

What time did you get started with
the meeting?

get to ( + verb): be allowed to; be permitted to

What did your parents say about the
rock concert? Do you get to go?

get (someone) to ( + verb): persuade someone

What did your parents say about the
rock concert? Did you get them to
give you permission to go?

get used to: become accustomed to; become
comfortable with

At first, it was difficult for Yussuf to
speak English, but he got used to it.

When Bob was on vacation, he
got used to sleeping late every morning.

 

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Special Notes

 

Note that when get used to is followed by a verb,
the verb is an -ing form:

not this: but this:		*Bob got used to sleep late. Bob got used to sleepinglate.
not this: but this:		*Yussuf got used to speak English. Yussuf got used to speakingEnglish.
not this: but this:		*I've gotten used to sit in front of my computer for long periods of time. I've gotten used to sitting in front of my computer for long periods of time.

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Note, also, that grammatically, get used to is like
be used to, but different from used to:

Bob used to sleep late. 
Bob is used to sleeping late.
Bob got used to sleeping late.

Yussuf used to speak English. 
Bob is used to speaking English.
Bob got used to speaking English.

I used to sit in front of my computer
for long periods of time.

I'm used to sitting in front of my computer
for long periods of time.

I've gotten used to sitting in front of my computer
for long periods of time.