Getting By: Mastering Phrasal Verbs with 'Get' — Free ESL lesson plan

Lesson plan

Objectives

Students can identify the meaning of at least five common phrasal verbs with 'get' from context.
Students can correctly use at least five common phrasal verbs with 'get' in spoken and written sentences.
Students can discuss personal experiences and opinions using newly learned 'get' phrasal verbs.
Students can understand and respond to questions containing 'get' phrasal verbs in a conversation.

Materials

Whiteboard or digital equivalent
Markers or pens
Handouts of reading passage and grammar worksheet
Printed role-play cards
Optional: small cards with 'get' phrasal verbs for matching game

Warm-up

Begin by asking students: 'What's the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?' Write 'get up' on the board. Then ask, 'How do you get to work or school?' Elicit 'get on the bus/train' or 'get in the car'. This will naturally introduce the concept of 'get' phrasal verbs and activate prior knowledge.

Presentation

Introduce the following phrasal verbs with 'get', writing each on the board with its definition and two example sentences. Encourage students to guess the meaning first. 1. **Get up**: To rise from bed after sleeping. * *Example 1*: I usually get up at 7 AM on weekdays. * *Example 2*: It's hard to get up early on cold mornings. 2. **Get on with (something)**: To start or continue doing something, especially work. * *Example 1*: We need to get on with the project if we want to finish on time. * *Example 2*: Stop procrastinating and get on with your homework! 3. **Get along with (someone)**: To have a friendly relationship with someone. * *Example 1*: Do you get along with your neighbours? * *Example 2*: My brother and I don't always get along, but we love each other. 4. **Get over (something)**: To recover from an illness, a shock, or a difficult experience. * *Example 1*: It took her a long time to get over the flu. * *Example 2*: He's still trying to get over his fear of public speaking. 5. **Get by**: To manage to live or deal with a situation with difficulty, often financially. * *Example 1*: We don't earn much, but we manage to get by. * *Example 2*: Can you get by on just four hours of sleep? 6. **Get together**: To meet someone socially or for a specific purpose. * *Example 1*: Let's get together for coffee next week. * *Example 2*: The whole family gets together every Christmas. 7. **Get back (to a place)**: To return to a place. * *Example 1*: What time did you get back home last night? * *Example 2*: I need to get back to the office before 5 PM.

Guided practice

1. **Matching Exercise**: Write the phrasal verbs on one side of the board and their definitions (scrambled) on the other. Students match them. (5 minutes) * *Phrasal Verbs*: get up, get on with, get along with, get over, get by, get together, get back * *Definitions*: recover from, return to, manage to live, meet socially, have a friendly relationship, start/continue work, rise from bed. 2. **Sentence Completion**: Provide sentences with gaps where students need to insert the correct 'get' phrasal verb. (5 minutes) * 1. After a long flight, I was happy to ______ home. * 2. It's difficult to ______ a cold when everyone around you is sick. * 3. My sister and I always ______ well, we never argue. * 4. I need to ______ my presentation now; it's due tomorrow. * 5. Even though money is tight, we always find a way to ______. * 6. We should ______ for dinner sometime soon. * 7. I hate having to ______ before the sun rises. *Answers*: 1. get back, 2. get over, 3. get along, 4. get on with, 5. get by, 6. get together, 7. get up.

Freer practice

1. **Personal Sentence Creation**: Ask students to write two original sentences for three different 'get' phrasal verbs from the lesson, making them personal or about their own experiences. Circulate and provide feedback. (5 minutes) 2. **Pair Discussion**: Put students in pairs. Give them a few discussion prompts that encourage the use of the target phrasal verbs. For example: 'How do you get along with your family members?', 'What's something difficult you had to get over?', 'When was the last time you got together with friends?' (5 minutes)

Wrap-up

Review the phrasal verbs by quickly asking students for one example sentence for each. Ask students: 'Which 'get' phrasal verb do you think you will use most often?' and 'What was the most interesting thing you learned today?' Encourage them to share their answers briefly.

A Day in the Life of a Freelancer

Maria is a graphic designer who works from home, so her daily routine is a bit different from most people. She doesn't have a boss telling her what to do, which she loves, but it also means she needs a lot of self-discipline. Every morning, Maria tries to **get up** around 7:30 AM. It’s not always easy, especially when she’s been working late the night before, but she knows starting early helps her **get on with** her tasks. She usually makes a quick breakfast and checks her emails before diving into her design projects. One of the biggest challenges Maria faces is managing her time and staying focused. Sometimes, it's hard to **get on with** her work when there are so many distractions at home. Her cat, for example, loves to sit on her keyboard, demanding attention! Luckily, Maria **gets along with** most of her clients very well. She believes good communication is key to a successful working relationship. She often has video calls with them to discuss new ideas and progress. Last month, Maria had a particularly stressful period. A major client project had some unexpected issues, and she felt quite overwhelmed. It took her a few weeks to truly **get over** the stress and feel confident again in her abilities. She learned a lot from that experience about setting realistic deadlines and saying 'no' when she's already overloaded. Financially, freelancing can be unpredictable. Some months are great, others are a bit tight, but Maria always finds a way to **get by**. She's careful with her expenses and always saves money when she can. Despite her busy schedule, Maria makes sure to make time for her friends. She loves to **get together** with them for dinner or a movie on Friday evenings. It’s important for her to disconnect from work and enjoy some social time. Sometimes, after a long week, she just wants to **get back** to her quiet apartment, relax with a book, and forget about deadlines for a while. Freelancing is not always easy, but for Maria, the freedom and flexibility it offers are worth all the effort. She wouldn't trade it for anything.

Comprehension

What time does Maria usually get up?
Answer: Maria usually gets up around 7:30 AM.
Why is it sometimes difficult for Maria to get on with her work?
Answer: It's difficult because there are distractions at home, like her cat.
What does Maria believe is key to a successful client relationship?
Answer: She believes good communication is key.
What did Maria have to get over last month?
Answer: She had to get over a stressful period related to a major client project.
How does Maria manage to get by financially, even if it's unpredictable?
Answer: She is careful with her expenses and saves money when she can.
What does Maria do to get together with her friends?
Answer: She gets together with them for dinner or a movie on Friday evenings.
What does Maria want to do when she gets back to her apartment after a long week?
Answer: She wants to relax with a book and forget about deadlines.
What does Maria like most about freelancing?
Answer: She likes the freedom and flexibility it offers.
What did Maria learn from her stressful experience last month?
Answer: She learned about setting realistic deadlines and saying 'no' when overloaded.

Grammar — Common Phrasal Verbs with 'Get'

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and an adverb or a preposition, or sometimes both, which together have a meaning different from the original verb. The verb 'get' is very common and combines with many different prepositions and adverbs to create a variety of meanings. For example, 'get' means to obtain or receive, but 'get up' means to rise from bed, and 'get over' means to recover from something. It's important to learn phrasal verbs as a single unit, as their meaning is often not obvious from the individual words. Pay attention to the context in which they are used. Some phrasal verbs are separable (the object can go between the verb and the particle), and some are inseparable. For the 'get' phrasal verbs we are studying today, most are inseparable or the object comes after the particle when it's a phrase (e.g., 'get on with your work', 'get along with your boss').

Choose the correct 'get' phrasal verb to complete each sentence. (get up, get on with, get along with, get over, get by, get together, get back)
Answer: Teacher check
1. It's difficult to ______ a broken heart, but time helps.
Answer: get over
2. My neighbours and I ______ very well; we often share meals.
Answer: get along with
3. We need to ______ this report before the end of the day.
Answer: get on with
4. What time do you usually ______ on weekends?
Answer: get up
5. We don't earn much, but we manage to ______ in the city.
Answer: get by
6. Let's ______ for a board game night next Saturday.
Answer: get together
7. I can't wait to ______ home after this long trip.
Answer: get back
Rewrite the sentences, replacing the underlined phrase with a 'get' phrasal verb from the list. (get up, get on with, get along with, get over, get by, get together, get back)
Answer: Teacher check
8. She found it hard to **recover from** the shock of losing her job.
Answer: She found it hard to get over the shock of losing her job.
9. My colleagues and I **have a friendly relationship** very well.
Answer: My colleagues and I get along very well.
10. They decided to **meet socially** for coffee after work.
Answer: They decided to get together for coffee after work.
11. He told me to stop complaining and **continue working**.
Answer: He told me to stop complaining and get on with work.
12. I usually **rise from bed** around 6 AM.
Answer: I usually get up around 6 AM.

Pronunciation

Focus: Stress in Phrasal Verbs

Minimal pairs

turn on / turn off
pick up / pick out
look for / look at
take off / take on
put down / put up
call off / call on
get up / get in

Drill

Explain that in most phrasal verbs, the stress falls on the particle (the preposition or adverb) rather than the verb itself. This helps distinguish them from literal meanings or other grammatical structures. **Teacher**: Listen and repeat. Focus on stressing the second word. 1. GET **UP** (not GET up) - *I need to get up early tomorrow.* 2. GET **ON** with (not GET on with) - *Let's get on with the meeting.* 3. GET a**LONG** with (not GET along with) - *Do you get along with your neighbours?* 4. GET **OVER** (not GET over) - *It took her a while to get over the flu.* 5. GET **BY** (not GET by) - *We can get by with what we have.* 6. GET to**GETH**er (not GET together) - *They often get together for coffee.* 7. GET **BACK** (not GET back) - *What time did you get back?* Practice saying these sentences with the correct stress. Pay attention to how the meaning changes if you stress the verb 'get' instead of the particle.

Conversation — Planning a Weekend Event

Role A

You are Alex. You want to organize a small social gathering for your friends this weekend. You are feeling a bit overwhelmed with work lately and need some relaxation. You want to invite your friend, Pat (Role B), to help you plan it. You are hoping to suggest something simple and fun. Try to use: 'get together', 'get on with', 'get over', 'get by'. **Goals:** * Invite Pat to help plan a small event. * Suggest a casual activity (e.g., movie night, board games). * Express your need to relax and disconnect from work.

Role B

You are Pat. Your friend, Alex (Role A), wants to organize a social gathering and needs your help. You are generally good at planning things and getting along with people. You recently had a challenging week, but you've managed to get over it. You're happy to help and want to make sure Alex doesn't feel too stressed. Try to use: 'get along with', 'get up', 'get back', 'get over'. **Goals:** * Offer your help enthusiastically. * Suggest practical ways to make the planning easier for Alex. * Ask about Alex's week and offer support.

Useful phrases

Hey, do you want to get together this weekend?
I was thinking we could get together for...
I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I need to get over this stress.
It's hard to get on with everything when you're tired.
I always get along with your friends.
I'd love to help you get this organized!
I just need to get back to feeling normal after this week.
Don't worry, we'll get by with a simple plan.
It's important to get up and do something fun.
How about we get together and watch a movie?

Applying 'Get' Phrasal Verbs in Life

**Writing Task**: Write a short paragraph (5-7 sentences) describing your ideal weekend, incorporating at least five of the 'get' phrasal verbs learned today. Underline the phrasal verbs you use.
**Vocabulary Review**: Create flashcards (digital or physical) for all the 'get' phrasal verbs and their definitions. Practice them for 10 minutes.
**Listening/Reading Practice**: Find an article or a short video online (e.g., a vlog, an interview) about daily routines or overcoming challenges. Try to identify any 'get' phrasal verbs being used. Note down at least two examples.
**Speaking Preparation**: Prepare to answer the following questions in the next class, using 'get' phrasal verbs: 'What's something you're trying to get over right now?' and 'How do you usually get along with new people?'
**Sentence Transformation**: Rewrite these sentences using a different 'get' phrasal verb from the lesson that has a similar meaning: a) I need to resume my work on the project. b) They plan to meet socially for dinner. c) She managed to survive financially despite losing her job. d) He finally recovered from his long illness.

Vocabulary

discipline: The ability to control your own behavior, often to achieve a goal.; "Self-discipline is important when you work from home."
procrastinating: Delaying or postponing something, often because you don't want to do it.; "I spent the morning procrastinating instead of doing my work."
overwhelmed: Feeling like you have too much to do or too many problems to deal with.; "She felt overwhelmed by the amount of homework she had."
unpredictable: Not able to be known or guessed before it happens; changing often.; "The weather in spring can be very unpredictable."
expenses: The money you spend on something.; "My biggest expense this month was car repairs."
disconnect: To separate or break a connection, often from work or technology.; "It's important to disconnect from your phone sometimes."
flexible: Able to change or be changed easily according to the situation.; "Working from home allows for a more flexible schedule."
dedication: The willingness to give a lot of time and energy to something because it is important.; "Her dedication to her studies earned her a scholarship."
freelancer: A person who works for different companies or individuals, not as a permanent employee.; "As a freelancer, he sets his own hours."
client: A person or organization that uses the services of a professional person or organization.; "She met with her new client to discuss the project."
deadline: A date or time by which something must be finished.; "I have a strict deadline to meet for this report."
routine: A regular sequence of actions followed in a fixed order.; "My morning routine involves coffee and reading the news."

Activities

Phrasal Verb Chain Story · 10 minutes
Students sit in a circle. The first student starts a sentence using one 'get' phrasal verb. The next student repeats the sentence and adds another sentence using a different 'get' phrasal verb, continuing the story. The goal is to build a coherent story using as many phrasal verbs as possible.
Personal Experiences with 'Get' · 12 minutes
In pairs, students take turns asking and answering questions that require them to use the 'get' phrasal verbs. Encourage them to provide details and elaborate on their answers. The listener should ask follow-up questions.
Role-Play: Advising a Friend · 10 minutes
In pairs, one student plays a friend with a problem, and the other gives advice, trying to incorporate the 'get' phrasal verbs. Encourage creativity and natural conversation. Switch roles after 5 minutes.