Expressions with “get”- problems and solutions

Expressions with “get” problems and solutions

 

Version with explanations

Choose any problems from below and discuss the best solutions with your partner. You can choose real problems for you, or just any you want to discuss.

Useful phrases for giving and responding to advice “The best solution is probably to/ That could be solved by/The best thing to do is…” “I agree”/ “That sounds like a good idea” “Hmmm, I’m not sure that is a good idea”/ “Hmmm, I’m not sure that would work”

Different meanings of “get”

• Your English isn’t getting (= becoming) better.
• Your company gets (= receives) lots of complaints.
• Your partner has got (= obtained) a great new job but that means that he/ she won’t be able to collect your daughter from nursery school.
• You’ve got to (= arrived at) the airport and then remembered that you didn’t print your e-ticket.

Collocations with “get”

• You want to practise your English outside class but can’t get into (= become interested in) any English books or TV series.
• Young people don’t get up (= stand) to give their seat to old or disabled people.
• You often get up (= get out of bed) late.
• Your teenage daughter often gets back/ gets home (= returns home) very late.
• It’s difficult to find a time when everyone in your team can get together (= meet) to check progress of the new project.
• You’ve had a cold for two weeks and can’t get over (= recover from) it.
• The employees won’t get behind (= support) the new manager.
• You want to get in touch with (= contact) the CEO of a potential customer, but you don’t have their contact details.
• You’ve emailed one of your suppliers about the late delivery of some vital supplies three times but they still haven’t got back to you (= contacted you after you contacted them).
• You really need to speak to the head of finance but you can’t get through to them (= contact them by phone).
• You don’t get on with/ get along with (= have a good relationship with) your boss.
• You are often interrupted and so have problems getting on with (= continuing/ making progress with) your work.
• You want a way to get back at (= get revenge on/ pay back) your husband/ wife/ boyfriend/ girlfriend.
• Your family are always getting at you (= pushing you/ nagging you) to change your image.
• A classmate got away with (= escaped the consequences of/ did wrong without being punished) cheating in the last test.

As a class, ask about anything above which you don’t understand, can’t think of a solution for, etc, discussing possible solutions each time.

Version without explanations

Choose any problems from below and discuss the best solutions with your partner. You can choose real problems for you, or just any you want to discuss.

Useful phrases for giving and responding to advice “The best solution is probably to/ That could be solved by/The best thing to do is…” “I agree”/ “That sounds like a good idea” “Hmmm, I’m not sure that is a good idea”/ “Hmmm, I’m not sure that would work”

Different meanings of “get”

• Your English isn’t getting better.
• Your company gets lots of complaints.
• Your partner has got a great new job but that means that he/ she won’t be able to collect your daughter from nursery school.
• You’ve got to the airport and then remembered that you didn’t print your e-ticket.

Collocations with “get”

• You want to practise your English outside class but can’t get into any English books or TV series.
• Young people don’t get up to give their seat to old or disabled people.
• You often get up late.
• Your teenage daughter often gets back very late.
• It’s difficult to find a time when everyone in your team can get together to check progress of the new project.
• You’ve had a cold for two weeks and can’t get over it.
• The employees won’t get behind the new manager.
• You want to get in touch with the CEO of a potential customer, but you don’t have their contact details.
• You’ve emailed one of your suppliers about the late delivery of some vital supplies three times but they still haven’t got back to you.
• You really need to speak to the head of finance but you can’t get through to them.
• You don’t get on with/ get along with your boss.
• You are often interrupted and so have problems getting on with your work.
• You want a way to get back at your husband/ wife/ boyfriend/ girlfriend.
• Your family are always getting at you to change your image.
• A classmate got away with cheating in the last test.

As a class, ask about anything above which you don’t understand, can’t think of a solution for, etc, discussing possible solutions each time.

 

Gapfill stage

Put one word into each gap below to go with “get” or to show its meaning.

Different meanings of “get”
Your English isn’t getting (= ______________________________________) better.

Your company gets (= ___________________________________) lots of complaints.

Your partner has got (= ______________________________________) a great new job.

You’ve got to (= ________________________________________________________ at) the airport and then remembered that you didn’t print your e-ticket.

Collocations with “get”

You want to practise your English outside class but can’t get ___________________ (= become interested in) any English books or TV series.

Young people don’t get ___________ (= stand) to give their seat to old or disabled people.

You often get ___________________________________________ (= get out of bed) late.

Your teenage daughter often gets _______________________ (= returns home) very late.

It’s difficult to find a time when everyone in your team can get _______________________ (= meet) to check progress of the new project.

You’ve had a cold for two weeks and can’t get ____________________ (= recover from) it.

The employees won’t get ___________________________ (= support) the new manager.

You want to get ______________________________________________________ touch with (= contact) the CEO of a potential customer, but you don’t have their contact details.

You’ve emailed one of your suppliers about the late delivery of some vital supplies three times but they still haven’t got _______ to you (= contacted you after you contacted them).

You really need to speak to the head of finance but you can’t get ___________________________________________ to them (= contact them by phone).

You don’t get ______________________ with (= have a good relationship with) your boss.

You are often interrupted and so have problems getting ________________________ with (= continuing/ making progress with) your work.

You want a way to get ________________________ at (= get revenge on) your husband.

Your family are always getting ____________ you (= pushing you) to change your image.

A classmate got _________________________________ with (= escaped the consequences of/ did wrong without being punished) cheating in the last test.

 

Use the mixed answers below to help with the gapfill task above.

• arrived
• at
• away
• back x 3
• becoming
• behind
• in
• into
• obtained
• on
• on/ along
• over
• receives
• through
• together
• up x 2

 

Add the word “get” in the right places below to make typical Business English sentences. Some need more than one “get”.

• Do you have time to together sometime next week?

 

• Can you tell me how to to your office?

 

• Sorry it took me so long to back to you.

 

• Well, I’d better back to my hotel. I have to up early to to the airport by seven for my flight.

 

• If you need any more info, please in touch.

 

• Is Mr Jones there? I’ve phoned his mobile a few times but I couldn’t through.

 

• I’d love to chat more, but I’m afraid I have to on with my work. I’ll email you in the next couple of days.

 

Look at the worksheets above to help, then check as a class or with the suggested answers..

 

Expressions with “get” roleplays

Decide who will be who in these situations then roleplay the conversations.

• Phone or email someone about having a (business) meeting
• Start a conversation with someone who is attending the same workshop at a conference/ trade fair/ trade show (who you have never met before)
• Email or phone someone to ask for some information.
• You haven’t managed to contact someone, so phone another number is his or her office

Suggested answers

Can you tell me how to get to your office?

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

Well, I’d better get back to my hotel. I have to get up early to get to the airport by seven for my flight.

If you need any more info, please get in touch.

Is Mr Jones there? I’ve phoned his mobile a few times but I couldn’t get through.

I’d love to chat more, but I’m afraid I have to get on with my work. I’ll email you in the next couple of days.