Some Uses of Go, Get, Do & Make, and Have
In English, certain verbs have multiple uses and meanings depending on the context. This covers some of the unique uses of the verbs "go," "get," "do," "make," and "have."
Go
"Go" is often used in phrases to describe various activities:
- Go to sleep and Go to bed: Referring to the act of going to rest.
- I was tired and went to sleep early.
- What time did you go to bed yesterday?
- Go home: Returning to one's house.
- I'm going home now.
- Go on: Often used with words like vacation, trip, tour, strike.
- John is going on vacation tomorrow.
- Ontario teachers went on strike.
- Go for: Engaging in a particular activity.
- Do you go for a run every morning?
- Go -ing: Used for sports and shopping activities.
- Are you going shopping this afternoon?
Get
"Get" has multiple meanings:
- Get + noun (receive/buy/find): Obtaining or acquiring something.
- Is it hard to get a job nowadays?
- Get + adjective: Describing a change in state.
- If you work a lot, you get tired.
- David and Natasha are getting married soon.
- Get to a place can be used to indicate arriving at a destination.
- I usually get to work at 9:00 am.
- Get here/there.
- How did you get there?
- Get in, get out: Entering or exiting a vehicle.
- Doug got in the car and drove away.
- The car stopped and Doug got out.
Do & Make
These verbs have different uses.
- Do
- I hate doing housework.
- I have to do twelve exercises for homework tonight.
- I did my best, but I just couldn't win.
- Make
- I'm sorry. I made a mistake.
- I need to make an appointment to see a doctor.
- Hush! Don't make any noise.
- I have to admit that I never make my bed in the morning.
Have and have got
- I have (something) or I've got (something): It is mine.
- Sue has long hair. OR Sue has got long hair.
- Do they have any children? OR Have they got any children?
- I have a headache. OR I've got a headache.
- The past is always "I had" without got:
- I've got some time today.
- Yesterday, I had some time.
- Have: Consuming food or drink.
- I had a cup of coffee this morning.
- "Have a cookie."
- Sometimes only "have" is possible:
- Kate just had a baby. It's a girl.
Correct Answers
The correct answer is "had". In this case, only "have" is possible in the past form "had."
We "make" bed.
The correct answer is "My son is 7 years old. He gets taller every day." "Get + adjective" is used to describe a change in state. In this sentence, the change in state is the person getting taller every day.
The correct answer is "do". "Do" is used for performing tasks or actions.
We use "get in" to indicate boarding a vehicle and "get out" for onboarding.
B: "I will _________________________ a coffee!"
The correct answer is "have". "Have" is used for consuming food or drink.
The correct answer is "had". The past is always "I had" without "got."
The correct answer is "going on". "To go on" is often used with words like vacation, trip, tour, strike.
Choose the sentence that correctly uses "get to" to indicate arriving at a destination.
The correct answer is "She gets to the office at 7:30 am."
The correct answers are "I have a headache right now" and "I have got a headache right now". "I've got" is an alternative way to say "I have" when talking about possession or experiencing something.
The correct answer is "get". "Get" is used with adjectives to describe a change in state.
The correct answer is "make". "Make" is used for creating or producing something.
The correct answer is "I do the dishes after dinner." "Do" is used to indicate performing tasks or actions. In this case, the task is doing the dishes after dinner.
Verb
Verb vs noun vs adjective: nouns name things. Adjectives describe. Verbs express what happens or what IS. The test: can it take tense (walked, will walk)? Can it take -ing? Can it follow to as an infinitive (to walk)? Yes to any → verb. English often converts freely between classes (run = noun or verb), so context decides.
A verb = action/state/occurrence word. 5 forms (base, -s, past, past participle, -ing). Carries tense, aspect, mood, voice. The one required element in every sentence.
Diagnostic: does it change for tense (walk → walked)? Can you put to before it (to walk)? Does it take -ing (walking)? → verb.
Preposition
Preposition vs particle: same words (in, on, up, off), different jobs. A preposition links to a noun (look at the book). A particle changes verb meaning without a noun (give up = quit). Test: is there a noun/pronoun after it forming a prepositional phrase? → preposition. Does it change the verb's meaning? → particle in a phrasal verb.
A preposition = small word connecting a noun to the sentence (time, place, manner, relationship). Choice is idiomatic per verb/adjective combination.
Diagnostic: struggling with which preposition to use? It's almost never about logic — look up the specific verb/adjective + preposition combination.
English Grammar Basics
Basics vs intermediate/advanced grammar: if you're unsure whether to study articles or conditionals, tense basics or reported speech — you need to check whether your foundations are solid first. Basics covers everything up to A2.
English Grammar Basics groups the core building blocks: nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, present/past tenses, questions, and negation.
Diagnostic: if you still hesitate over she don't vs she doesn't, or a vs an — start here. Master these and intermediate topics stop feeling random.
A1 | Elementary | Beginners
A1 vs A2: A1 covers isolated survival phrases (Where is…?, I am…, How much?). A2 handles connected sentences about familiar routines and simple past events. If you can manage short fixed phrases but not string together original sentences about your day, you're still A1.
A1 is the entry level of the CEFR: greetings, introductions, numbers, basic present tense, and core function words.
Diagnostic: can you describe yesterday using past tense? No → A1. Yes → you're moving into A2.
Easy
Easy vs Medium vs Hard: Easy = one rule, obvious answer, A1–A2. Medium = one rule but realistic distractors, A2–B1. Hard = interacting rules, edge cases, B2+. Start Easy to check you have the basics before moving up.
The Easy tag filters for single-rule, short-sentence, common-vocabulary challenges designed for beginners or for anyone wanting a confidence check on fundamentals.
Diagnostic: if you get Easy questions wrong, stay here — your foundations need work. If they feel trivial, move to Medium.