Because of an Accident

Several years ago, my parents and I got my brother’s 2 kids for about a week and a half. This was because my sister-in-law was hurt in an accident. She got a broken leg and had to have surgery. And thankfully, she did not get an infection after surgery. We got her kids because they were small and my brother had to work long hours.

A More Complicated Meaning

You will be happy to know that my sister-in-law is okay now. And this story uses a meaning of the little English verb “get” as  a main verb. This meaning is a bit complicated. But keep reading and you will understand it.

“Get = “Have”

In English, we sometimes use “get” to mean have. But we can only do this in specific cases. We use “get” when we want to say that we have something new that was not given to us, like an infection, or that we have something temporarily, (for a short time). In the first case, it is a little bit like using “get” to mean “catch,” but we cannot catch an infection from someone. It grows in our bodies. In the second case, we use “get” to show that we own, or have responsibility for something for a short time, so it is not like receiving something for ever.

She got a broken leg and had to have surgery. = She had a newly broken leg and had to have surgery.

We got the kids because they were small and my brother had to work long hours. = We had the kids for a short time because they were small and my brother had to work long hours.

Special Note

Again, this meaning of “get” can sometimes be used in formal contexts. You can write to your boss that your mother “has gotten cancer” and you have to go spend time with her.

Your Turn

Now it is time for you to practice. Have you ever gotten an infection? Have you ever gotten some kids for a short time like my parents and I did? Leave a comment below to tell me about it.