Get

FORMAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE DO'S AND DON'TS LIST EXPLANATION

SAT ESSAY WRITING TRICK #8

WORDS NOT TO USE IN FORMAL WRITING

#1: GET (the past tense is 'got'): Never, ever use 'get' or 'got' in formal writing and speaking.

The verb 'to get' is one of the worst offenders. This little word has so many meanings that we use it constantly.

A good exercise for you is to count the number of times you here this word (and others on this list) in a day!

Here are some of the most common meanings of 'get' and the formal alternatives you should use:

A. 'To get' can mean 'to obtain', 'to buy', 'to purchase' or 'to acquire', as in the sentence:

Informal: "When shopping, please be sure to get the eggs that are required for the cake."

This informal sentence would be a formal sentence if the word 'purchase' was substituted for 'get':

Formal: "When shopping, please be sure to purchase the eggs that are required for the cake."

B. 'To get' can mean 'to catch' or 'to contract' as in the sentences:

Informal: "When the ball was thrown, did he get it?"

Formal: "When the ball was thrown to him, did he catch it?"

Informal: "When she was exposed to the disease, did she get it?"

Formal: "When she was exposed to the disease, did she contract it?"

Notice the word 'contract' also has additional meanings:

as a verb, in addition to the meaning above,

- 'contract' can mean 'to become infected with'

- 'contract' can mean 'to grow smaller', 'to sign up' or 'to agree to'.

as a noun, a 'contract' can be a 'pact', a 'deal' or an 'agreement'.

C. 'To get' can mean 'to move' or 'to progress' as in the sentence:

Informal: "You should really get out of the way!"

Formal: "You should really move out of the way!"

D. 'To get can mean 'to become' or 'to grow' as in the sentence:

Informal: "When my child gets to be 12, I will tell him about the birds and the bees."

Formal: "When my child becomes 12 years old, I will tell him about the birds and the bees."

A student wrote the following sentence:

Informal: "One of the major problems foreign born individuals face in the United States is the transition of getting used to American customs and lifestyles."

Acceptable: "One of the major problems foreign born individuals face in the United States is the transition of becoming used to American customs and lifestyles."

Better: "One of the major problems foreign born individuals face in the United States is the transition of adapting to American customs and lifestyles." Or the verb 'acclimating to' could be used as well.

E. 'To get' can mean 'to understand', 'to comprehend', 'to grasp', 'to follow', or 'to perceive' as in the sentence:

Informal: "When the teacher explained clearly, the students finally got it;"

Formal: "When the teacher explained clearly, the students finally understood."

F. 'To get' can mean 'to accomplish', 'to attain', 'to reach' as in the sentence:

Informal: "Students require time to study and get good grades."

Formal: "Students require time to study and earn high grades."

G. 'To get' can mean 'to find', as in the sentence:

Informal: "When you looked for the book, did you get it?"

Formal: "When you looked for the book, did you find it?"

These are some the most common uses of the word 'get'.

DO NOT USE GET OR GOT IN FORMAL WRITING OR SPEAKING. NEVER.

Use the more precise (descriptive, exact) alternatives instead.

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