Phrasal Verbs With Get

What is a phrasal verb?

The simple explanation of a phrasal verb is the following:

Phrasal verb = verb + preposition

Yep that’s it! Sounds easy right. Well not quite! What happens is that when we use a preposition with a verb, the meaning changes completely. This increases the number of meanings a verb can have and makes it difficult for learners of English to understand all of them.

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Below you will see how the meaning of get changes according the preposition we use after it.

Get across

Meaning: to communicate.

Meaning:  to make someone understand something. (Especially if the details are too difficult to understand or if the person being explained to understands poorly).

• Although I couldn't speak the language, I managed to get my meaning across when necessary.
• Your meaning didn't really get across.
• He's not very good at getting his idea across.

Get along - Get on with

Meaning: to have a good / friendly relationship with someone.

(get on is used more in Britain)

• Even though there are six of them sharing the house, they all get on well with each other.
• He doesn't get along well with his mother-in-law.
• Our new boss is very easy to get on with.

Get around

1. Meaning: to become known. To spread or to circulate. If news or information gets around, people tell other people, so that soon many people know about it.

• It's a small place, so news and gossip get around pretty quickly.
• The news of his arrest got around quickly.
• News soon got around that Matthew was back in town.

2. Meaning: to find a way of avoiding a difficult or unpleasant situation, so that you don't have to deal with it.

• There is no way of getting around it - you are going to have to tell her the truth.
• Isn't there any way of getting around the regulations?

Get at

1. Meaning: to reach, to access to something.

• The cupboard is too high for me to get at.
• The report is locked in the cabinet and I can't get at them.

2. Meaning: to suggest something indirectly, to imply. (used only in the continuous tense)

• What exactly are you getting at? (=trying to say, suggest)

Get away

1. Meaning: to go away from someone or something

• Get away from me!
• Get away from that cake!
• It was so busy that Francisca couldn't get away from the phone all day.

2. Meaning: to escape from someone who is chasing you.

• They tried to get away from the police but they weren't quick enough.

3. Meaning: to have a holiday.

• We hope to get away for a couple of weeks around Christmas.

Get down

1. Meaning: to cause someone to be depressed.

• This weather is getting me down
• Don't let these problems get you down too much.

Get down to

1. Meaning: to reach the point of dealing with something.

• Now, let's get down to business
  

2. Meaning: to begin to work on something seriously. To give serious attention to something.

• It's time I got down to some serious work.
  

3. Meaning:  to finally start doing something, after you have been avoiding it or after something has prevented you from doing it.

• Once it is Summer, we will get down to painting the house.

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Get on

1. Meaning: to put yourself on or in something

• I get on the bus at 8am every morning.
• We got on the train just before it left.
  

2. Meaning: to remind someone to do something; to continue

• Your story is taking all day. Get on with it!

Get out of

1. Meaning: to avoid something

• He always tells his parents he has homework to get out of doing the dishes.
• She was lucky to get out of that dangerous situation.
  

2. Meaning:  to physically remove yourself from somewhere or something

• I got out of bed as soon as my alarm went off.
• The police officer told me to get out of the car.

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Get over

1. Meaning:  to recover from something or return to your usual state of health or happiness.

• I thought he would never get over her illness.
• It took her a long time to get over their separation.
• He never got over the shock of losing his wife.
  

2. Meaning: to overcome or deal with or gain control of something.

• She can't get over her shyness.

Can't get over

1. Meaning: to be amazed or surprised by something.

• I can't get over how much your kids have grown.

So there you go. A lot of examples of phrasal verbs with the verb get. There are many more with get but consider this as an introduction and over time I will give you more and more.

Phrasal verbs are very hard for non-native English speakers to use so be patient and practice a lot. You will hear a lot of phrasal verbs in films so listen carefully when watching American and British films.