June 20, 2021

What don't you get about "get"?

22 minutes

Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks!

In this podcast you'll get a chance to practice with some expressions which are based on the verb "to get". And you will get a lot of mileage out of the verb to get. There are probably, maybe 150 different expressions, phrasal verbs, different things that use "get"—I don't even know how many, but a lot. So, let's get to work!

1. I don't get it. The teacher explained the problem, but I still don't get it. [= I don't understand.]

2. Sarah is super-sweet. She gets along with everyone. [= is friends with]

3. I don't get along with my in-laws. I don't like them and they don't like me. And my mother-in-law is the worst. I REALLY don't get along with her. ['we don't get along = we are not friendly]

4. "Willy, get up right now or you'll miss the school bus!" [get up = get out of bed]

5. We got off the train in Chicago and flew the rest of the way to Los Angeles. [= we left the train.]

6. He got through his exam in less than an hour. [= finished his exam]

7. My dog would sleep all day if I didn't make him get up. [get up = get out of bed]

8. I hope you have enough money to get by for the rest of the month. We're broke.
[to get by = to survive] [broke = have no money]

9. Her Spanish is good enough to get by, but she really needs to work on her accent. [ = to do okay; her Spanish is good enough for basic communication}

10. Please get to the point. You've been talking for ten minutes and I still don't understand what you're trying to get at. [get to the point = say what you mean to say], [what are you trying to get at? = what are you trying to say?]

11. She talks and talks and never says anything. It really gets under my skin. [= it really bothers me, irritates me, makes me mad]

12. You've had a lot of bad luck. You just have to tough it out and get through it. [to get through it = to survive it]

13. When her husband ran off with another woman, it took Mary years to get over it. [= to recover, to feel okay again]

14. "Oh, get over it. Missing a TV show is not the end of the world!" [Oh, get over it = It's not important, forget about it]

15. No, you may NOT play with your friends. Get back in the house and finish your homework. [= go back]

Listening practice:

16. My little brother fell off his bicycle, but he got up and got right on again. [He stood up and climbed back on his bicycle.]

17. We got out of San Francisco just before the big earthquake. [= We left San Francisco]

18. If you ever smell smoke at night, get everyone out of the house immediately. [= Make everyone leave the house.]

19. Roxanne, all you do is study, study, study. You need to get up, get out, and get a life! [= stand up, leave the house, do something more important or more interesting]

20. First she got a degree in Spanish, and then she went to grad school and got a law degree. [= receive a college or university degree]

21. I rarely get angry, but when I do, look out! [= become mad]

22. My plans for today? Well, first I'll get some breakfast. Then I'll go to the gym and get som