Getting by or getting better

Hey there, and welcome to T.E.A. Time with Tayvin Bayless. In this episode, I will be talking about a very common and useful word. It’s used so often in a variety of contexts and with different phrases, that it may be rather difficult to understand sometimes. The word is “get”, and while it may seem simple it’s actually more versatile than you might expect. I will break this episode into two main parts. The first is an explanation of 3 patterns for using the word “get” with another part of speech. I will explain the pattern and then provide a few example sentences so you can hear how it could be used. In the second part, I will share some common phrases using “get”, define each phrase, and read a dialogue that uses each of the phrases in a natural context. There’s a lot to explain here, so you may want to listen to this episode a few times through. Anyway, let’s go ahead and get on with the explanations.

The first pattern is “get” plus a direct object. When used in this context it means “to buy or receive.” Here are some examples:

1. I got two tickets to the concert right before they sold out. I was so lucky!
2. I had to get some fast food for lunch because I didn’t wake up early enough to make anything.
3. I hope I get some new speakers for Christmas.

Next, if we use “get” with a location or place expression, it means “to arrive.” For example:

1. When do you think we’ll get there?
2. The itinerary says we will be getting to London around 10 pm.
3. I got home super late last night.

The last pattern that I want to share with you is “get” plus an adjective. When used in this context it means “to become” and is used to show a change of state.

1. It gets so hot in the summer, but the fall weather in Utah is perfect!
2. Getting older comes with a lot of aches and pains.
3. I’ve only been practicing for a few months, so I’m not a pro but I am getting better.

Now, I’d like to introduce you to a few common phrases that use “get”. This is not a comprehensive list, which means that there are a lot more ways you might hear the word used, but hopefully, this will help you understand some of the phrases that are used most frequently.

Get by: This means to manage or survive. Used frequently when talking about work, school, or finances.

Get it: Means to understand something. Used often to confirm if something was understood. Do you get it?

Get rid: This means to throw something away.

Get away with: Means to escape punishment for a crime or a bad action.

Get over: Means to recover from an illness or an upsetting or shocking event.

Get up on the wrong side of the bed: This is a phrase that means to be in a bad mood. Act rude or mean.

Now I will read a brief dialog that uses all of the phrases that we just introduced.

Dan: “ Yo Steve, it’s good to see you! How you doing?”

Steve: “ugh. I’m so not in the mood for school right now.”

Dan: “Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What’s up?

Steve: “My sister’s boyfriend broke up with her last week and she has been a nightmare to deal with since. I also got a cold over the weekend so that sucked.”

Dan: “He was kind of a tool anyway, right? I’m sure she’ll get over it soon. Did you hear about Ms. Green’s calculus test?”

Steve: “Nah, what’s going on?”

Dan: “Kyle stole the answers to her final test and was trying to sell off copies to other students.”

Steve: “I don’t get it. Why would anyone need to cheat to pass her class? It’s so easy.”

Dan: “Not everyone is like you, dude. Calc is hard. Most of us are just getting by. Anyway, someone told Ms. Green and she talked with him after school. Apparently, he was real cocky saying that there’s no proof and nothing she can do about it. Guess he thought that he’d get away with it, but he forgot to get rid of the copies in his locker.”

Steve: “Let me guess. Officer Brown was checking his locker while Ms. Green talked with Kyle?”

Dan: “ No, man. They had already found the stuff in his locker before. So while Kyle was acting all cocky the copies were sitting on her desk right in front of him the whole time. He just wasn’t paying attention. Heard Kyle got suspended for it.

Steve: “Well, that’s no real surprise. He’s gotta be one of the dumbest delinquents at this school.”

Well, there you have it. I hope that you got a better understanding of the word “get” from this episode. If you have any questions or comments send me a message through Anchor, on Twitter, or find me on italki and I’ll try to respond as quickly as possible. If you’d like to read along with the audio of this episode, you can find a link to the transcript in the episode description or on my Twitter page. Until next time. Have a wonderful day.