Get-Passives: She Got Promoted
By the end: I can describe events affecting someone with get and a past participle.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Focus on an event
Get with a past participle can describe an event affecting the subject, often in conversation.
She got promoted last month.
My bag got damaged on the journey.
Keep the passive roles
The subject receives the action rather than performs it. Get carries tense; the participle stays in its passive form.
He gets invited to every meeting.
Did your bike get stolen?
Build the question without changing the participle
Did carries the past question form, so get stays in its base form.
Choose tone and meaning
Get-passives are not always negative. For a neutral formal report, a be-passive may be more suitable. Not every get plus adjective is a passive.
Two students got selected for the team.
The applicants were notified by email.
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare form and meaning with the model.
1. Complete: She got ___ last week. Use promote.
Compare a model and explanation
promoted
Get is followed by the passive participle.
2. Correct: Did it got damaged?
Compare a model and explanation
Did it get damaged?
Use get after did.
3. Change to a be-passive: He got invited.
Compare a model and explanation
He was invited.
The passive roles remain.
4. Change to a get-passive: The tickets were checked.
Compare a model and explanation
The tickets got checked.
This is more conversational and event-focused.
5. Who performs the promotion in She got promoted?
Compare a model and explanation
An unspecified promoter, not necessarily she herself.
The subject receives the action.
6. Does got promoted describe a negative event by definition?
Compare a model and explanation
No.
Get-passives can describe welcome outcomes.
7. Is got tired automatically a passive just because it contains get?
Compare a model and explanation
No. Tired can describe a resulting state.
Form and context matter.
8. Write a positive and a negative get-passive.
Compare a model and explanation
She got selected. His phone got stolen.
Both have an affected subject.
A short conversation
Listen first, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Did you get invited to the training day?
B: Yes, and I got selected for the advanced group.
A: That’s good. My application got delayed.
B: The final decisions were sent yesterday, so check your email.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have a separate score.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking 1
Describe two events affecting people or objects using get-passives.
Reveal a possible response
My friend got promoted. My suitcase got damaged.
Success check: Keep the affected subject clear.
Speaking 2
Rephrase one conversational get-passive for a formal report.
Reveal a possible response
The files got deleted. In the report: The files were deleted.
Success check: Change register without changing agency.
Put it all together
Tell a short account with one positive and one negative event, then identify what remains unknown.
Reveal a possible response
I got invited to the workshop, but my ticket got lost. I don’t know who moved it.
Success check: Do not invent the agent of a passive event.
Take it with you
I can describe events affecting someone with get and a past participle.