49. Focus on: combinations of get, right, back, and to
The focus of this section is an expanded definition of the two-word phrasal verb get to and the three-word phrasal verb get back to. The purpose is to try to make some sense out of a seemingly limitless number of idiomatic combinations of get, to, and various particles and adverbs, in particular right and back, and to demonstrate that many phrasal verbs comprised of get and a particle are actually variations of get to that can be modified with right andlor back.
Remember that back is sometimes part of a phrasal verb and sometimes an adverb used to modify a phrasal verb (review Section 26), although we will see that there is often no difference in meaning between the phrasal verb get back (to), discussed in Section 42, and the phrasal verb get to modified by back (get back to).
The numbers in the chart correspond with the meanings in the definitions.
get to
1. Although the phrasal verb get to is defined here as meaning arrive, it can be understood as the basis for some of the phrasal verbs that were discussed in Section 42:
Bill got to Peoria. (Bill arrived in Peoria.)
Bill got back to Peoria. (Bill returned to Peoria.)
Bill got up to Peoria. (Bill arrived in Peoria from the south.)
Bill got down to Peoria. (Bill arrived in Peoria from the north.)
380
Bill got over to Peoria. (Bill arrived in Peoria from the east or west.)
Bill got out to Peoria. (Bill arrived in Peoria from the east or from a larger city.)
We see that get back (to), get up (to), get down (to), get over (to), and get out (to)
are variations of get to but with additional information. These verbs
can be modified with right, meaning immediately, quickly, or directly (see Section 10):
Bill got right back to Peoria. (Bill returned to Peoria quickly.)
381
Get to work has two meanings, similar but not the same. Get to work can refer to an arrival at a place where someone works:
Ann got to work. (Ann arrived at the place where she works.)
But get to work (see meaning 3) can also mean start working, without any reference to a change of location:
Joe got to work. (Joe started working.)
Joe got back to work. (Joe started working again.)
Joe got right to work. (Joe started working immediately.)
Joe got right back to work. (Joe started working again immediately.)
The difference in these two meanings is illustrated by the following sentence:
l got to work at 9:00, but I didn't get to work until 10:00, which can paraphrased as I arrived at my office at 9:00, but I didn't start working until 10:00.
2. Although the phrasal verb get to is defined here as meaning reach a certain level, number, or amount, it can be understood as the basis for some of the phrasal verbs discussed in Section 42:
Jane got to 120 pounds.
Jane got back to 120 pounds. (Jane weighs 120 pounds again.)
Jane got up to 120 pounds. (Jane used to weigh less that 120 pounds.)
Jane got down to 120 pounds. Jane used to weigh more that 120 pounds.)
We see that get back (to), get up (to), and get down (to) are variations of get to but with additional information.
Get up (to) and get down (to) can be modified by back:
Jane got back up to 120 pounds. (Jane used to weigh 120 pounds, lost weight, and then gained it back.)
Jane got back down to 120 pounds. (Jane used to weigh 120 pounds, gained weight, and then lost it.)
3. If you start to do something, you get to it:
l'll try to get to my homework after dinner.
If you start to do something, stop doing it, and then later start to do it again, you get back to it:
l'll try to get back to my homework after dinner.
If you start to do something, stop doing it, and then later quickly start to do it again, you get right back to it:
l'll try to get right back to my homework after dinner.
Remember that when both right and back are used, right always comes first:
I'll try to get back right to my homework after dinner.
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get back to
1. Get back to is a three-word verb meaning talk to someone again later. Get back to does not vary in form — neither back nor to is optional.
| Infinitive | ||||
|
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle |
| dog up | clog up & clogs up | dogging up | clogged up | clogged up |
1. clog... up p.v. When people or things clog up a drain or something else that liquids must flow through, they put something in it that prevents water or other liquids from going through it or that prevents it from working properly.
Don't pour that bacon grease in the sink — you'll clog the drain up.
Dr. Smith said my arteries were so clogged up by plaque deposits that it was a miracle I was still alive.
clogged up part.adj. When a drain or something else that liquids must flow throughis clogged up, something is in it that prevents water or other liquids from going through it or that prevents it from working properly.
The mechanic told me that the engine valves in my car were clogged up.
- The ultimate phrasal verb book
- 28. Passive Phrasal Verbs, 2 / 210
- 30. Participle Adjectives Formed from Phrasal Verbs, 2 / 223
- Come from
- 2. Focus on: phrasal verbs and do, does,anddid
- Fall for
- 4. Focus on: present and past continuous phrasal verbs
- 5. Focus on: pronunciation of two-word phrasal verbs
- 7. Focus on: separable phrasal verbs with long objects
- 8. Focus on: present perfect phrasal verbs
- 9. Focus on: two-word phrasal verbs that require an additional particle when used with an object, 1
- 11. Focus on: phrasal verbs used in compound nouns
- Light up
- 14. Focus on: participle adjectives formed from phrasal verbs, 1
- Dress up dress up & dresses up dressing up dressed up dressed up
- Dry up & dries up drying up dried up dried up
- Put away
- Stick up
- 16. Focus on: phrasal verbs with gerund objects, 1
- Hold off hold off & holds off holding off held off held off
- Put past
- Intransitive phrasal verbs
- 18. Focus on: phrasal verbs and can, could, will, andwould
- Figure on
- Lift upon
- Line up
- Tell apart tell apart & tells apart telling apart told apart told apart
- 19. Focus on: phrasal verbs and the adverb right
- Bring over
- Cool off
- Hand over hand over & hands over handing over handed over handed over
- Pull over
- 20. Focus on: phrasal verbs followed by the -ingform
- Start out start out & starts out starting out started out started out
- Stay up stay up & stays up staying up stayed up stayed up
- 21. Focus on: phrasal verbs and shouldandought to
- Very probable: should and ought to
- Look over look over & looks over looking over looked over looked over
- Pick on
- Step on
- Take out on
- 22. Focus on: the particle upand the adverbsright andall
- Clear up
- Heat up
- Plug up
- Wipe up
- 23. Focus on: two-word phrasal verbs that require an additional particle when used with an object, 2
- Cut down
- Get away
- Make up
- Watch out
- Exercise 23b — Complete the sentences with the correct second particles.
- Print out print out & prints out printing out printed out printed out
- Slow down
- Trade in trade in & trades in trading in traded in traded in
- 1. The doctor said I was cured, but he wants me to see him in a year for a __________.
- 25. Focus on: phrasal verbs and haveto,have got to,andmust
- Do with
- Have on have on & has on having on had on had on
- Knock over
- Lighten up
- Plan ahead
- Think up think up & thinks up thinking up thought up thought up
- 26. Focus on: phrasal verbs and the adverb back
- Open up open up & opens up opening up opened up opened up
- Put together put together & puts together putting together put together put together
- Shut off shut off & shuts off shutting off shut off shut off
- Start up
- 27. Focus on: phrasal verbs with the particle off and the adverbright
- Break off
- Tear off
- Wash off
- Wipe off
- Break up
- Call up
- Carry out carry out & carries out carrying out carried out carried out
- Mess up
- It looks like Timmy was the last one in the bathroom — it's really messed up.
- 29. Focus on: phrasal verbs and might,may, andcan
- Drop in
- Flip out
- Look out
- Luck out
- Run across run across & runs across running across ran across run across
- 30. Focus on: participle adjectives formed from phrasal verbs, 2
- Lock out
- Punch out & punches out punching out punched out punched out
- Put out & puts out putting out put out put out
- Wash up wash up & washes up washing up washed up washed up
- 10. Thanks for helping me move my piano. I'm sorry to ________ you ________.
- Do away with
- Look into look into & looks into looking into looked into looked into
- Plan on
- Put off & puts off putting off put off put off
- 32. Focus on: phrasal verbs with the particle out
- Come out come out & comes out coming out came out come out
- Fall out
- Stick out
- 33. Focus on: phrasal verbs and midsentence adverbs
- Catch on catch on & catches on catching on caught on caught on
- Fall behind
- Goof around
- Know about know about & knows about knowing about knew about known about
- Pull off pull off & pulls off pulling off pulled off pulled off
- Exercise 33b — Complete the sentences with the correct second particles.
- 34. Focus on: pronunciation of two-and three-word phrasal verbs, 2
- Lead up to
- Stand for
- Stick to stick to & sticks to sticking to stuck to stuck to
- Leave behind
- Live with
- Narrow down narrow down & narrows down narrowing down narrowed down narrowed down
- Trick into trick into & tricks into tricking into tricked into tricked into
- 36. Focus on: phrasal verbs with the particle down
- Fall down
- Go down
- Put down put down & puts down putting down put down put down
- 37. Focus on: phrasal verbs used as nouns, 3
- Hang out
- Leave over left over
- 38. Focus on: the verb keepand adverbs and adverbials showing degrees of variability
- Keep away
- Keep down
- Keep off keep off & keeps off keeping off kept off kept off
- Keep on keep on & keeps on keeping on kept on kept on
- Keep up
- 39. Focus on: passive phrasal verbs, 3
- Cross off
- Fill up
- Take over
- 40. Focus on: gerund phrasal verbs vs. Phrasal verbs followed by the -ing form
- Bring up & brings up bringing up brought up brought up
- Come back
- Go away
- Run around run around & runs around running around ran around run around
- 41. Focus on: two-word phrasal verbs with the particle in that require into when used with an object
- Let in & lets in letting in let in let in
- Plug in
- Sneak out
- 43. Focus on: modals and present perfect phrasal verbs
- Gross out gross out & grosses out grossing out grossed out grossed out
- Head toward & heads toward heading toward headed toward headed toward
- Run up & runs up running up ran up run up
- Stop off
- 44. Focus on: participle adjectives and passive phrasal verbs with the verb get
- Stress out & stresses out stressing out stressed out stressed out
- 45. Focus on: phrasal verbs with the verb turn
- Turn in
- Turn off
- 46. Focus on: pronunciation of phrasal verbs with the particle into
- Bump into
- Freak out freak out & freaks out freaking out freaked out freaked out
- Make for make for & makes for making for made for made for
- Talk into
- Talk out of
- 47. Focus on: particles used without verbs
- Cut back
- Move out
- 48. Focus on: modals and present perfect passive phrasal verbs
- Knock out
- Look up to
- 1. Look up to p.V. When you look up to people, you admire and respect them.
- Put back
- Switch on & switches on switching on switched on switched on
- Throw out throw out & throws out throwing out threw out thrown out
- 49. Focus on: combinations of get, right, back, and to
- Get ahead
- Get back to
- Start off
- Come down to
- Deal with
- Pay back
- Take up on
- 1. Take... Up on p.V. When you take people up on an offer, you accept their offer.
- Wear out
- Index of Phrasal Verbs by Section