AVOID the word ‘got.’

Writers state that another word can be used instead of ‘got.’

For example, Have you got my present…Have you received my present.

What about here, however? Can it can be totally omitted, rather than replaced?

Have you (got) any work for me?

Use common words, rather than words to impress.

I enjoying talking, and I feel I am good at it. Talking with others is a skill one develops over years.

I enjoying talking and I feel I am good at it. Conversing with others is a skill one develops over years.

If you are writing a report, there is often a word, or a few of them, that is used often. Is it best to keep using this word or mix it up? However, if you do mix it up then you risk it going against the rule above: Also, writers say that you should use common words, rather than words to impress.

What are your thoughts on this? Your answer may be the same as your answer to using the pronoun ‘it’

Cheers

Not in German.  Only “Mein Got!” will cut it.

Have you (got) any work for me?

Using got in this case is colloquial. It shouldn’t be used in writing.

Americans would say, “Do you have any work for me?” “Have you any work for me?” sounds more British, or at least old fashioned.

Baa baa black sheep. Have you any wool?

Have you got my present?

shouldn’t it be…

Have you gotten my present?

is it right?

What about ‘I have got spare time.’

as opposed to ‘I have spare time.’

Can you explain why ‘got’ does not have to be there? (It sounds fine both ways, but I don’t understand why there can be an omission).

In my writing, I’m trying to follow this writing tip:change ‘got’ for stronger words. But now I’m coming across instances where an omission seems fit, rather than a replacement.

Thanks

I would say, “I have some spare time.”

“Got” is generlly considered wrong in writing, as in “He’s got the flu.” Better off to avoid it.

saparris - 16 June 2009 06:36 PM

I would say, “I have some spare time.”

“Got” is generlly considered wrong in writing, as in “He’s got the flu.” Better off to avoid it.

He’s already implies “he has”, that is what the apostrophe is for.  The “got’ is very bad grammar.

As saparris says “got” is not considered good grammar. Not even “he got the fly ball”, but “he caught the flyball” - like mathematics, reducing everything to the least
common denominator for the sake of brevity still is not good English.

Eddie88 - 16 June 2009 06:09 PM

What about ‘I have got spare time.’

as opposed to ‘I have spare time.’

Can you explain why ‘got’ does not have to be there? (It sounds fine both ways, but I don’t understand why there can be an omission).

In my writing, I’m trying to follow this writing tip:change ‘got’ for stronger words. But now I’m coming across instances where an omission seems fit, rather than a replacement.

Thanks

I have spare time. Never: “I have got spare time”.

have got

In other words, it’s both redundant and incorrect, regardless of how it sounds.

What he said.

LukeJavan8 - 19 June 2009 03:23 PM

As saparris says “got” is not considered good grammar. Not even “he got the fly ball”, but “he caught the flyball” - like mathematics, reducing everything to the least common denominator for the sake of brevity still is not good English.

What about other tenses?  E.g. “he gets the blame”, “I will get the book”.  Would you consider those just as bad as “got”?

What about other tenses?  E.g. “he gets the blame”, “I will get the book”.  Would you consider those just as bad as “got”?

According to what I have read, this is so.

Generally, there is a far better word, more specific to the action, that can replace ‘get.’

In both your cases, ‘get’ can be replaced for a stronger verb: receives the blame, buys the book, for example.

What about other tenses?  E.g. “he gets the blame”, “I will get the book”.  Would you consider those just as bad as “got”?

I don’t think it’s a matter of tenses. Rather, it’s a matter of meaning. Get/got shouldn’t replace have/had, but there are other times when get/got works fine.

He always gets the girl.
The little boy got into trouble again

saparris - 22 June 2009 07:13 AM

What about other tenses?  E.g. “he gets the blame”, “I will get the book”.  Would you consider those just as bad as “got”?

I don’t think it’s a matter of tenses. Rather, it’s a matter of meaning. Get/got shouldn’t replace have/had, but there are other times when get/got works fine.

He always gets the girl. 
The little boy got into trouble again 

Yes.

Hi Eddie,

Using the same word often in the same text, especially in the same sentence or paragraph is boring. Some of the ways you can avoid this :

Use pronouns to represent nouns.

Run one sentence into the other.

Parks are the lungs of a city. Parks are a main source of fresh air.

Instead of this, you could say:

Parks are the lungs of a city. They are a main source of fresh air.

OR

Parks are the lungs of a city and are a main source of fresh air.

OR
Parks, the lungs of a city, are a main source of fresh air.

The use of synonyms is a delicate thing. You can notice it immediately when someone has been riffling through a dictionary of synonyms. It has been said that there are no such things as synonyms. Every word in the language has its own meaning or nuance , and you can’t just stick one in place of the other.

Certainly, we should try to replace common words like get, make, say, do with more specific words, but should not hesitate to use them when something else does not sound natural.

Finally, the secret of good writing is READING. You learned speaking from people who spoke. Learn writing from people who write. Have a book in hand every day of your life. You should read at least 50 to 100 books a year and mind you, there is nothing wrong with reading the same book more than once, or twice or three times or…

Verbum

It has been said that there are no such things as synonyms. Every word in the language has its own meaning or nuance , and you can’t just stick one in place of the other.

You learned speaking from people who spoke. Learn writing from people who write.

Two very good points. Thanks!