7 Expressions with Get

These micro-dictation exercises contain 7 different expressions with Get.

‘Get’ is one of the most common verbs in the English language. As well as having
several basic meanings (and being used in grammatical structures like the passive) it
is also used in a lots and lots of idioms and fixed expressions.

Learning some of these idioms and expressions is a very good way of improving your
understanding of everyday conversation, while also making your own English more
varied and natural.
This exercise contains 7 micro-dictations, each one containing a different idiom or
expression with Get.
See how much you can understand, try to guess the meaning of the expression, and
then check the definition. Good luck!
#1 to get a shock

Accent: North America

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.               

  
to get a shock = to be surprised by something negative or unpleasant.
e.g. I got a shock when I saw the gas bill – it was 5 times what I had been expecting.
#2 to get the chance

Accent: England (London)

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        Naples       

   –             

  
About the sentence
The idiom to get the chance to do something  is another way of saying to have the
opportunity to do something.
e.g. I wanted to ask for his autograph but I didn’t get the chance.
e.g. Did you get the chance to ask your boss for next Thursday off?
#3 to get to know someone

Accent: England (RP)

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 Difficult
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,                 

    .

  
About the sentence
We use the expression to get to know someone  to describe the process of learning
more about a person by spending time with them.
e.g. I got to know Paul while we were travelling up to Scotland..
#4 to get rid of something

Accent: Scotland

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 Difficult
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        ,       

               

            .

  
The expression to get rid of something  means to remove something or make it go
away.
e.g. Please can we get rid of these curtains? I’ve never liked them.
e.g. He used to have a big tattoo on his neck; I wonder how he got rid of it?.
#5 to get hold of someone

Accent: Northern England

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  ,             

  ?

  
The meaning of the expression to get hold of someone  is to make contact and
communicate with someone, usually on the phone.
e.g. I can’t get hold of John. Maybe he’s changed his number?.
#6 to get on someone's nerves

Accent: Ireland

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 Difficult
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.             ASAP.

  
The idiom to get on someone’s nerves  can be used as an alternative to the verb to
annoy someone.
e.g. I don’t know why, but his voice really gets on my nerves..
#7 to get up to speed

Accent: Scotland

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 Difficult
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          ,     

               

    .

  
When you get up to speed , you get all the latest information about something.
e.g. Before you start working with your new team, you’ll need to get up to speed with
our new IT system.
Discussion questions

Write your answers to these questions in the comments section, and I’ll get back to
you with some feedback:

 When was the last time you got a shock?

 Tell me about something that you would like to do one day, if you get the
chance to do it?
 Is there anything that you wanted to do, but didn’t get the chance to do?
 Can you think of someone who you didn’t like at first, but who you became
friends with after you got to know them?
 Are you good at getting rid of things you don’t need, or do you find it hard to
throw things away?
 What’s the best way to get rid of a headache/cold/sore throat/hangover?
 Can you remember a time when you’ve needed to get hold of someone but they
didn’t answer their phone? What happened?
 Are you a difficult or easy person to get hold of?
 Tell me about something that you would like to do one day, if you get the
chance to do it?
 What are the top three things that get on your nerves?
 Think about the last time you got a new job. How long did it take to get up to
speed with everything?