1. Janice entered the house quietly so that no one would hear her. What did Janice do?
2. Lydia unlocked the door so that her brother could enter the house. What did Lydia do?
3. Ms. Cummings paid her hotel bill and left. What did Ms. Cummings do?
4. In Question 3, Ms. Cummings had to leave the hotel before noon so that she would not have to pay for another day. What is noon at the hotel?
5. The window of Nancy's house was broken, and her jewelry, TV, and computer were gone. What happened to Nancy's house?
6. In Question 5, what happened at Nancy's house?
7. When I arrive at the airport, I'll give my ticket to the agent, and she'll give me a boarding pass. What will I do at the airport?
8. In Question 7, where will I go in the airport?
9. The room is full of cigarette smoke, and Karen doesn't want to enter it. What doesn't Karen want to do?
10. I saw an interesting house with a "for sale" sign on Pine Street as I was driving home. Tomorrow I'll stop and learn more about it. What will I do to the house tomorrow?
11. When Erik flies to Colorado to go skiing, he always gives his skis to the airline agent so that they will be put in the baggage compartment. What does Erik always do with his skis?
12. In Question 11, how would you describe Erik's skis after he gives them to the airline agent?
13. You opened the window quietly, when no one was looking, and left your house. What did you do?
14. Mr. Baker hasn't arrived at his hotel and arranged for a room yet. What hasn't Mr. Baker done yet?
15. Hank bought a new CD player and connected the plug to the outlet. What did Hank do?
16. In Question 15, how would you describe Hank's new CD player?
17. Before Ned was hired for his job in a nursing home, the human resources manager at the nursing home called his previous employer and asked questions about Ned. What was done to Ned?
18. My feet are killing me. It wasn't very smart to wear new hiking boots that aren't soft and comfortable. Why are my feet killing me?
EXERCISE 41 c — Write seven original sentences using phrasal verbs from this section.
1. __________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________
EXERCISE 41 d, Review — Complete the sentences with these phrasal verbs from previous sections. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. To check their meanings, review the section number given after each one.
| blow off, 40 | help out, 33 | start out, 20 |
| come on, 37 | leave over, 37 | straighten out, 39 |
| fill up, 39 | let down,37 | take over, 3 9 |
| get off on,40 | live with, 35 | talk to, 37 |
| go away, 40 | narrow down, 35 | |
| hang out, 37 | put down, 36 |
1. I hope you like spaghetti, because so much was ________ ________ after the party that we're going to be eating it for a week.
2. My son has promised me a hundred times that he'll stay out of trouble and work harder in school, but he always ________ me ________.
3. I want to watch the news. It's going to _____ _____ as soon as this game is over.
4. Even though you don't like your brother, you shouldn't ________ him ________ in front of his children.
5. Today ______ _____ cold and rainy, but now the sun is out, and it's a lot warmer.
6. I can't drive because of my broken leg, but Carmen said she'd ________ me ________ if I need anything.
7. I've got an appointment to get my teeth cleaned tomorrow at 4:00, but if you want to go to the beach, I can ________ my appointment ________.
8. The company was considering eight cities for the new factory, but they've ________ it ________ to three.
9. A lot of the employees are confused about the new contract. We should ask management to have a meeting so that we can ________ everything ________.
10. Lydia is going to________________for Judy during her maternity leave.
11. Her husband said he wasn't going to stop smoking and that she would just have to learn to _______ _________it.
12. The commercial on TV said that if you ________your car's gas tank________with their gas, you'd get better mileage and a cleaner engine.
13. We're planning to ________ ________ for a few weeks. Would you mind watering our plants until we return?
14. David put a pool table and a pinball machine in his basement. It's a great place to ________ ________ and relax.
15. Can you believe how rude that guy was to me? Nobody has ever ________ ________ me like that before.
16. Bob is very kind and generous. He _____ ______ ______ helping other people.
42. FOCUS ON: phrasal verbs with get, 1
Many phrasal verbs are based on the verb get, and it is important to understand that the meaning of get in these verbs is not the same as the nonphrasal form of get, meaning receive. Instead, get has a meaning similar to become or change to:
I got up at 6:00.{\ was not up before, and then I became up — I changed from not being up to being up.)
Many phrasal verbs with get that relate to a change in physical location might seem identical in meaning to a variety of phrasal verbs using come, go, and other verbs that describe physical movement, such as walk, run, move, and so on, and often they can be used with little difference in meaning:
l came back last night. I got back last night.
But there is a difference: get emphasizes the change in location; come, go, and so on, emphasize the movement from one location to another.
It is very common to use the adverbs right and back with get phrasal verbs. To review the adverb right, see Sections 19 and 22. To review the adverb back, review Section 26 (and do not confuse the adverb back with the particle back).
Note that two forms of the past participle of get are shown: gotten and got. Gotten is more common in American English, but got is occasionally used. Both are correct.
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| get back | get back & gets back | getting back | got back | gotten l got back |
1. get back (to) p.v. When you return to a level or place where you were before, you get back or get back to that place.
We left three weeks ago, and we didn't get back until yesterday.
Where are you going? Get right back here!
Mark lost a tot of weight when he was sick, and it took him a long time to get back to his old weight.
2. get... back (to) p.v. When you get something back or get something back to a person or place, you return it to that person or place.
Jim uses his mother's car in the morning, but she needs it to go to work at 4:30, so he has to get it back before then.
I have to get these books back to the library — they're overdue.
3. get... back (from) p.v. When you get something back or get something back from someone or someplace, you have something that you had before.
l couldn't believe I got my stolen car back.
Jim borrowed a book from me three years ago, and I still haven't gotten it back from him.
4. get back (from) p.v. When you get back or get back from something that is very hot or dangerous or that you should not be near, you move away from it so that there is more distance between you and it.
Get back from the edge of the cliff! You might fall.
As the President came closer, the police told the crowd to get back.
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| get behind | ||||
| get behind & gets behind | getting behind | got behind | gotten l got behind |
1. get behind (in) p.v. When you are in a group that is studying or working, and so on, and they learn faster or get more work done because you are learning or working more slowly than the others, you get behind or get behind in your studies or work. When you do not complete work as fast as originally planned and expected, you get behind schedule. Keep up is the opposite of get behind. Fall behind is similar to get behind.
Linda had some problems last semester, and she got behind in her studies.
With all the bad weather we've been having, the construction project has gotten way behind schedule.
Get by
get by & gets by getting by got by gotten l got by
1.get by p.v. When you get by or get by something, you pass something or someone while you are walking or driving even though it may be difficult because there is not enough room.
Can you move all that junk in the hallway please? It's hard for people to get by.
There was an accident on the highway, and no one could get by.
2. get by (on) p.v. When you get by or get by on a certain amount of money, you continue with your work or continue with your life even though it may be difficult.
Don't worry about me; I'll get by somehow.
It's not easy getting by on $250 a week.
3. get by p.v. When something, such as a mistake or a problem, gets by you, you do not notice it.
I've got a great editor; no mistakes get by her.
I checked this report twice. How did all these misspellings get by me?
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| get down | get down & gets down | getting down | got down | gotten l got down |
1. get down (to) p.v. When you move to a lower level or place or from north to south, you get down or get down to that level or place. Get up is the opposite of get down. Go down is similar to get down.
You're going to fall out of that tree and break your neck. Get down right now!
The first thing I did after I got down to Miami was go to the beach.
2. get... down (from) p.v. When you get things or people down, you move them from a higher level or place to a lower one.
Why do you always put the dishes on the top shelf? I can't get them down.
The fire fighters got the people down from the roof of the burning building.
3. get down p.v. When you bend your body and lower your head to avoid danger or to prevent people from seeing you, you get down.
When the enemy soldiers started shooting, the sergeant ordered his men to get down.
Get down! If the police catch us here we'll be in a lot of trouble.
4. get... down p.v. When things or people get you down, they make you sad or depressed.
Don't let your troubles get you down. Everything will be all right.
Jim's marriage problems are really getting him down.
Get in
get in & gets in getting in got in gotten l got in
1. get in l into p.v. When you get in or get into a place, building, room, car, boat, and so on, you enter it.
Get in the car! We're going now.
We'd better get into the school — the bell's going to ring soon.
2. get... in l into p.v. When you get in or get into a place, building, club, restaurant, meeting, and so on, you obtain permission to enter. When you get other people in or get other people into a building, club, restaurant, meeting, and so on, you arrange for them to enter.
We'll never get into that club; we don't know the right people.
l didn't have an invitation to the party, but Nancy got me in.
3. get... in l into p.v. When you get something in or get something into a place, building, room, container, enclosure, and so on, you get the object inside even though it is difficult.
The shoes are too small — I can't get my feet in.
How did they get that elephant into its cage?
4. get... in l into p.v. When you get in trouble or get into a difficult situation or a mess (a mess is a confused or difficult situation), you become involved in it. When you get people in trouble or get them into a difficult situation or a mess, you cause them to become involved in it.
Susie got in a lot of trouble at school today.
I don't see any solution to this problem. How did I ever get into this mess?
5. get in l into p.v. When you get in or get into a place, you arrive. When the vehicle you are in gets in or gets into a place, it arrives. Come in is similar to get in.
I'm exhausted. I got in really late last night.
I'll be waiting for you at the station when your train gets into the station.
6. get... in p.v. When a store gets something in, it receives a delivery of something that it will offer for sale.
Karen asked the sales clerk when the store was going to get some summer dresses in.
I wanted to buy that new book, but the bookstore hasn't gotten it in yet.
7. get... in p.v. When you get an activity in, you find the time for it or make the time for it.
Dinner isn't until 7:30, so we've got time to get a tennis game in.
Whenever I go to San Francisco on business, I try to get a baseball game in.
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| get out | get out & gets out | getting out | got out | gotten l got out |
1. get out (of) p.v. When you get out or get out of a place, building, room, car, boat, and so on, you leave or escape from it.
When Bob heard his car's engine making a strange noise, he got out and looked under the hood.
We smelled gas and got out of the building just seconds before it exploded.
2. get out (to) p.v. When you go to a place that is west of where you are or to a place outside a large city, you get out or get out to that place.
l love it here in the city. I almost never get out to the suburbs anymore.
I told my friend in New York, "If you ever get out to California, please visit me."
3. get... out (of) p.v. When you get people out or get them out of a place, you take them out or you arrange for them to leave.
The soldiers were surrounded, so they called for a helicopter to get them out.
After Hank was arrested, his lawyer got him out of jail.
4. get... out (of) p.v. When you get out or get out of a dangerous, awkward, or difficult situation, you avoid it. When you get people out of a dangerous, awkward, or difficult situation, you help them to avoid it.
Erik made a date with two girls for the same night. How is he going to get out of this mess?
You got me into this mess — you get me out!
5. get... out (of) p.v. When you get something out or get something out of a container or place, you remove it.
Mother's coming for dinner tonight, so let's get the good china out.
The videotape is jammed; I can't get it out of the VCR.
6. get... out (of) p.v. When you get dirt or a stain out or get dirt or a stain out of a material, you remove it by cleaning.
This detergent's ad claims it'll get dirt out even in cold water.
Do you think bleach will get this wine stain out of my white blouse?
7. get out p.v. When information gets out, it becomes known to people who are not supposed to know it.
Be careful — we'll be in a lot of trouble if this information gets out.
There was a huge scandal after the news got out.
8. get out (of) p.v. When you leave your house and do things that are relaxing and fun, you get out or get out of the house.
You work too hard; you should get out more.
Ned doesn't get out of the house much; he prefers to stay home and play computer games.
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| get over | get over & gets over | getting over | got over | gotten l got over |
1. get over (to) p.v. When you get over to a place, you go there. When you tell people to get over here, you want them to come where you are.
Francisco called and he said he needs you to help him with something, so get over to his house right way.
Susie, get over here and clean up this mess immediately!
2. get over p.v. When you get over a problem, illness, or emotionally painful experience, you stop letting it affect you and continue with your life.
I've got a bad cold. I've been sick for a week, and I still haven't gotten over it.
You can't feel sorry for yourself forever — you've got to get over it and get on with your life.
3. get over p.v. When something happens that surprises you or makes you angry, and you cannot stop thinking about it, you cannot get over it.
l can't get over seeing my ex-wife with her new husband.
The coach couldn't get over losing the state championship 47 to 0.
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| get up | get up & gets up | getting up | got up | gotten l got up |
1.get up (to) p.v. When you move to a higher level or place, or from south to north, you get up or get up to that level or place. Get down is the opposite of get up. Go up is similar to get up.
Tom, your brother is in the basement. Please go tell him to get right up here and start doing his homework.
I haven't gotten up to my brother's house in Canada for a long time.
2. get... up p.v. When you get up or someone gets you up, you rise from your bed. When you get people up, you cause them to rise from their beds.
l don't usually get up until 11:00 on weekends.
I make breakfast; getting the children up and ready for school in the morning is Bill's job.
3. get up p.v. When you change from a sitting or lying position to a standing position, you get up. Stand up is similar to get up.
The teacher told the sleeping students to get up.
After he hit me, I got right up and hit him back.
