Hi, Iβm Kasia. Welcome to Oxford Online English! In this lesson, you can learn about
the verbs βhaveβ and βgetβ.
Youβll see ten different meanings of βhaveβ, and ten different meanings of βgetβ. Youβll
also see examples, so you can learn to use the verbs βhaveβ and βgetβ in different
ways.
This lesson has five parts. Each part starts with a short dialogue.
In each dialogue, there are two different ways to use βhaveβ, and two different
We suggest that you watch each dialogue two or three times. Before you continue, try to
hear the different sentences with βhaveβ and βgetβ. Think about what they mean.
Then, watch the explainer section after the dialogue. You can check if you were right!
Before we start, we really think you should check out our website: Oxford Online English
dot com. You can find free English lessons, and you can also take online classes with
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Now, letβs see our first dialogue. Are you going out?
I have judo class. Itβs the first one after the holidays.
Ah, yeah, I remember. Are you walking?
I need to get there before seven, so I think Iβll get a taxi. Iβll be late otherwise.
OK, well, have a good time! Did you hear the four phrases with βhaveβ
and βgetβ? Letβs see them.
Can you explain the meaning of βhaveβ and βgetβ here?
βHaveβ can mean βtake part in an eventβ, as in, βI have judo class.β
You could also say, βI have a meeting tomorrow morning.β
βShe has a tennis tournament on Saturday.β βWhat time do you have your Spanish lesson?β
You can use this with meetings, classes, social events, and more.
In βhave a good timeβ, what do you think βhaveβ means?
βHaveβ can also mean βexperience.β For example: βWe had a lot of fun at their
wedding.β βHeβs having a lot of problems at school
at the moment.β βIβve been having a stressful time at
With this meaning of βhaveβ, the phrase βhave a β¦ timeβ is useful. Put an adjective
in the space: have a *good* time, have a *bad* time, have a *difficult* time, and so on.
What about the phrases with βgetβ?
βGetβ can mean βarriveβ or βreachβ. You can say things like: βWhat time do you
think youβll get here?β βThe train gets to Berlin at four oβclock.β
In the dialogue, you also heard, βIβll get a taxi.β You can also use βgetβ
like βcatchβ or βtakeβ, meaning to use a form of transport. So, you can *get*
the metro, *get* a bus, *get* a taxi, and so on.
For example: βIf we get the subway, will we be on time?β
βItβs not worth spending so much for such a short flight. Letβs get the boat.β
Have you seen the email I sent you?
No. My PCβs got some kind of problem. I canβt connect to the Internet.
Canβt you look on your phone?
Yes, I suppose I canβ¦ . Yup, got it. Iβll look at it right now.
Great. Let me know what you think.
Will do. I need to get someone to fix my computer, though. I donβt like using my phone for
This dialogue was a little different. Can you see how?
In the dialogue, one of the uses of βhaveβ was as an auxiliary verb: βHave you seen
What was the other usage of βhaveβ? It was: βMy PCβs got some kind of problem.β
We used βhave gotβ as a form of βhaveβ. Weβll come back to this in a minute.
So, βhaveβ can be an auxiliary verb, especially in perfect tenses. In this case, βhaveβ
doesnβt have its own meaning. Instead, itβs a grammar word; itβs used to make a verb
form.
Look at three examples of this: βI havenβt seen her all day.β
βWe hadnβt realised that we needed to bring our passports.β
βSheβll have finished all her exams by the end of July.β
In all three sentences, βhaveβ is not the main verb. The main verbs are βseeβ,
βrealiseβ and βfinishβ.
βHaveβ is used to form the perfect tense. The sentences are present perfect, past perfect
and future perfect, respectively.
Again, βhaveβ doesnβt have its own meaning here. When βhaveβ is an auxiliary verb,
it adds meaning to other words. It doesnβt mean anything by itself.
Actually, βhaveβ is an auxiliary verb in βhave gotβ, too.
βHave gotβ is easy; it means the same as βhaveβ in the most basic sense.
You can say βI have a new phoneβ, or βIβve got a new phone.β
You can say βThey have three childrenβ, or βTheyβve got three children.β
Thereβs no difference in meaning, and it doesnβt matter which you say.
But, be careful! You canβt use βhave gotβ to replace all other meanings of βhaveβ.
What about βgetβ in the dialogue? You heard these phrases.
Any ideas? βGot itβ here means βI received your
emailβ. βGetβ can mean βreceiveβ, so you can get an email, get a text message,
For example: βI got a new tablet for my birthday.β
βDid you get my message?β In the second phrase, βgetβ means to ask
someone to do something for you. Generally, you use the phrase βgetβ, plus a person,
plus βtoβ plus verb. You could also say: βSheβs too old to
look after the garden, so I got someone to help her once a month.β
βIβm no good at DIY, so I got someone to paint my living room.β
Did you get everything for tonight?
Letβs see: I got stuff for sandwiches, nachos, dips, and veggies for dipping. If people are
still hungry later, we can order pizzas. I guess they can also have the curry I made
last night, if they really want.
Iβm guessing people will bring drinks, but thereβs some wine and a few beers which
people can have. Plus, thereβs juice for everyone who isnβt drinking.
Ah, crap! I knew Iβd forgotten something.
Itβs getting lateβ¦ Do you think thereβs time to go out and get one now?
Maybe. Weβll have to leave right now.
OK, OK, Iβm going. This time, letβs start with βgetβ. You
heard these phrases. Actually, you heard one or two more. But,
in most of these phrases, βgetβ has one meaning. Do you know what?
In the first three phrases, βgetβ means βbuyβ. This is very common.
What about the last phrase: βItβs getting lateβ?
This is another common use of βgetβ. Here, βgetβ means βbecomeβ. Letβs see
some more examples: βMy water bottle came open in my bag, so my books got wet.β
βCan we turn on the heating? Itβs getting really cold in here.β
βRenting an apartment is getting ridiculously expensive.β
What about βhaveβ in the dialogue? βHaveβ can mean βeatβ or βdrinkβ.
You can βhave lunchβ, βhave a snackβ, βhave a cup of coffeeβ, and so on.
You also heard βWeβll have to leave right now.β
βHave toβ is a kind of modal verb. It means that something is necessary. The main
thing to remember is that βhave toβ doesnβt have a connection with βhaveβ. They look
similar, but theyβre completely different verbs. They donβt have the same meaning,
and they donβt follow the same rules. You look exhausted! Is everything OK?
Ughβ¦ Iβm alright, just a bit ill. I got a cold or a virus of some kind a few days
ago.
Thereβs something going around. A lot of people at my office had something similar
I think it might be stress-related, too. Iβve been working a lot, and Iβm not getting
Have you been to the doctorβs?
No, Iβm just going to stay at home and rest. Itβs a shame; I was planning to visit Sarah
I canβt! Sheβs just had her baby boy. She got home from the hospital two days ago.
Oh yes, of course. Both βhaveβ and βgetβ can be used
to talk about illness. In the dialogue, you heard these: βI got a cold or a virus of
some kind a few days ago.β βA lot of people at my office had something
similar last week.β What do you think: whatβs the difference
between *getting* an illness, and *having* an illness?
βGet illβ is similar to βcatch an illnessβ. You use it to talk about the start of an illness.
Often, you can use both words. You can say βI got a coldβ, or βI caught a coldβ.
Thereβs no difference.
βHave an illnessβ is similar to βbe ill.β You use it to describe the state of
In this case, you can also use βhave gotβ. You can say βI have a coldβ or βIβve
You also heard: βIβm not getting enough sleep.β
βSheβs just had her baby boy.β Can you explain these?
This might sound confusing, but βgetβ can mean something similar to βhaveβ,
especially when youβre talking about lifestyle habits like sleep, diet, exercise and so on.
So, you can say: βHe doesnβt get enough fruit and vegetables in his diet.β
βI definitely donβt get enough exercise.β βI get about seven hours of sleep every
night.β The meaning of βgetβ here is something
between βhaveβ and βdoβ.
What about the second sentence, with βhaveβ?
βHaveβ can mean to give birth. If you say βShe had a baby last week,β you mean
I didnβt like it. Plus, the rent was way too high for such a small place.
I donβt get it. Why show people an apartment in such a bad state?
Yeah, I know. I guess itβs a sellerβs market. Did you have a look at the bathroom?
Youβd need to have the whole place redecorated, and even then it wouldnβt be a good deal.
Do you think theyβll actually get a thousand a month for it? It seems way too high.
Salaries around here are pretty high. People get a lot of money, even for basic jobs. I
agree itβs not a good deal, but I imagine someone will probably take it.
Hmmm⦠Anyway, how many more places are we looking at today?
Look at four phrases from the dialogue. Do you know what βgetβ and βhaveβ
mean in these sentences? βGetβ can mean βunderstandβ. βI
donβt get itβ means βI donβt understand.β
You could also say βDo you get what I mean?β which means βDo you understand me?β
βHaveβ can be used in certain phrases to mean βdo an actionβ. You can have a
look, have a shower, have a walk, or have a nap.
For example, you might say βWe had a short walk before dinner.β
βI wish I could have a nap in the afternoon. I get so sleepy after lunch!β
In the third sentence, βhaveβ is used in the structure βhave something doneβ.
This meansβusuallyβthat you pay someone else for a service.
For example, you can have your hair cut, have your house painted, or have your car repaired.
In all of these, the idea is the same: you pay someone else to do the work for you.
You can also use βgetβ in these phrases, with the same meaning, although itβs slightly
more informal. So, you can say βget your hair cutβ, βget your house paintedβ
or βget your car repaired.β
Finally, βgetβ can be used to mean βearn moneyβ or βmake moneyβ. You can use
it to talk about salaries, as in βPlumbers can get over three k a month around here.β
You can also use it for other things. For example: βI got fifteen hundred pounds for
my old car.β This means you sold your old car, and you
made one thousand five hundred pounds from the sale.
Of course, there are other ways to use βhaveβ and βgetβ. We couldnβt fit every meaning
of these verbs into one lesson.
Hereβs a question: can you find any other common meanings of βhaveβ or βgetβ?
If you can, post the meaning and an example in the comments. You can learn more about
these verbs from other viewers, and check if your ideas are correct or not.