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Dennis Oliver's Phrasal Verbs: G
get across (separable): make something understood;
communicate something understandably.
"Alan is really intelligent but sometimes he has
problems getting his ideas across."
get along (with) (inseparable): have a friendly
relationship (with); be friendly (toward).
"Why can't you and your sister get along?
Everyone else gets along with her just fine!"
get around (1. inseparable): avoid having to do something.
"Teresa got around the required math classes by
doing well on a math proficiency test."
get around (2. no object): move from place to place.
"She doesn't have a car. She gets around by
bicycle, bus, or taxi."
get around to (inseparable): do something eventually.
"I really should wash the dishes, but I don't feel
like it. Maybe I'll get around to them tomorrow morning."
get by (no object): survive, financially, in a difficult
"It's going to be hard to pay the rent now that you've
lost your job, but somehow we'll get by."
get in (1. inseparable): enter a small, closed vehicle.
"I don't know where Carole was going. She just got
in her car and drove away."
get in (2. no object): arrive.
"Do you know what time Fred's plane gets in?"
get on (inseparable): enter a large, closed vehicle.
"I'm sorry, but you're too late to say goodbye to
Angela. She got on the plane about 20 minutes ago."
get off (1. inseparable): leave a large, closed vehicle.
"When you get off the bus, cross the street,
turn right on Oak Street, and keep going until you're at the corner
of Oak and Lincoln Boulevard."
get off (2. separable): be excused (for a period of time)
from work, class, or other regularly scheduled activities.
"Some schools got President's Day off
but ours didn't. We had classes as usual."
get off (3. separable): make it possible for someone to
"Everyone knew he was guilty, but his lawyer was
clever and got him off."
get out of (1. inseparable): leave a small, closed vehicle.
"There's something wrong with the garage door opener.
You'll have to get out of the car and open it by hand."
get out of (2. inseparable): escape having to do something.
"Lisa said she had a terrible headache and got out
of giving her speech today."
get over (1. no object): finish. (Note: for
individual activities, not ones that happen again and again.)
"What time do your classes get over?"
get over (2. inseparable): recover from an illness or
"Katy was really upset when she failed the test. She
thought she would never get over feeling so stupid."
get rid of (1. inseparable): dispose of; give away or throw
"That shirt is really ugly. Why don't you get
rid of it?"
get rid of (2. inseparable): dismiss someone; fire someone
from a job; cause someone to leave.
"The treasurer of the XYZ company was spending too
much money so the company president got rid of him."
get up (usually no object; with an object, separable):
leave bed after sleeping and begin your daily activities.
"You'll have to get up much earlier than usual
tomorrow. We have to leave by no later than 6:00 AM."
"I know I won't hear the alarm tomorrow morning. Can you
get me up at 6:00 AM?"
give up (1. separable): stop doing something (usually a
"He knows smoking isn't good for his health, but he
can't give it up."
give up (2. no object): decide not to try (unsuccessfully)
to solve a problem.
A: "What's black and white and red all over?"
B: "I give up. What?"
A: "An embarrassed zebra!"
go out with (inseparable): have a date with.
"You went out with Sharon last night, didn't
go with (1. no object): look pleasing together.
(Note: for clothes, furniture, etc.)
"You should buy that shirt. It will go well
with your dark brown suit."
go with (2. no object): date regularly and steadily.
"Is Gina going with Jim? I see them together
all the time."
goof off (no object): be lazy; do nothing in particular.
A: "Do you have any special plans for your
B: "No. I'm just going to stay home and goof off."
grow up (1. no object): spend the years between being a
child and being an adult.
"Did you know that Frank grew up in Malaysia?"
grow up (2. no object): behave responsibly; behave as an
adult, not a child.
A: "Lee really irritates me sometimes. He's really
silly and childish."
B: "I agree. I wish he would grow up."