在表示「移動,行進」的意思時,get 和 go 是近義詞,但 get 著重於到達。例如:
- I’ll call you as soon as I get to Seoul. (我一到首爾就會打電話給你) (正)
I’ll call you as soon as I go to Seoul. (誤) - The thing is, he got to work late and missed part of the on-the-job training. (問題是,他上班遲到而且錯過了部分在職訓練) (正)
The thing is, he went to work late and missed part of the on-the-job training. (誤)
上下公車、巴士、火車和飛機要用 get on 和 get off,不能用 go on 和 go off。例如:
- When Jack got on the plane, there was someone sitting in his seat. (傑克登上飛機時,有人坐在他的座位上) (正)
When Jack went on the plane, there was someone sitting in his seat. (誤) - I will be waiting for you when you get off the train. (你下火車時,我會在那裡等你) (正)
I will be waiting for you when you go off the train. (誤)
早上「起床」的英文是 get up,不是 go up,後者意為「上去,上升」等等。例如:
- I got up early today. (今天我很早就起床了) (正)
I went up early today. (誤)
Get 和 go 都有「 變成,變得,變為」的意思,為連綴動詞,但它們分別與不同的形容詞連用。Get 通常與 late、dark、light、hot、cold、humid 和 interesting 等形容詞連用,而 go 則跟顏色 (如 go grey/red) 和 bald、blind、deaf、crazy、mad、wild、bad、rotten、sour、naked、topless 及其他予人負面聯想的形容詞連用,通常指變壞。例如:
- It’s getting late – I have to go. (太晚了,我該走了) (正)
It’s going late – I have to go. (誤) - It’s getting dark. (天就要黑了) (正)
It’s going dark. (誤) - It’s been getting colder and colder all morning. (整個上午天氣變得越來越冷) (正)
It’s been going colder and colder all morning. (誤) - Tom tried to deny it, but he went very red. (湯姆極力否認,但還是羞愧得滿臉通紅) (正)
Tom tried to deny it, but he got very red. (誤) - John’s only 30, but he’s going bald. (約翰只有 30 歲,但就要童山濯濯了) (正)
John’s only 30 but he’s getting bald. (誤) - He went mad and tried to attack someone. (他發瘋了想攻擊別人) (正)
He got mad and tried to attack someone. (誤) - The milk was left in the fridge too long and it’s gone bad. (牛奶留在冰箱太久而變質了) (正)
The milk was left in the fridge too long and it’s got bad. (誤)
然而,angry、old、sick、tired、ill、wet 和 difficult 等負面形容詞,則與 get 連用。例如:
- It was raining and we all got wet. (下雨了,我們都被淋濕了) (正)
It was raining and we all went wet. (誤) - Our boss often gets angry about trivial things. (我們老闆常因瑣碎小事動怒) (正)
Our boss often goes angry about trivial things. (誤) - I got tired after studying all day. (唸了一整天的書,我很累了) (正)
I went tired after studying all day. (誤) - Things are starting to get a bit difficult in Taiwan. (台灣的情況開始變得有點艱難) (正)
Things are starting to go a bit difficult in Taiwan. (誤)