Distinguishing Between Have & Get

Have and Get are two verbs that can be confusing due to their seemingly similar meanings. However, they should be understood with different meanings and usages. The verb ‘have’ is often followed by the preposition ‘to,’ as in the sentence ‘you have to meet him today.’ On the other hand, the verb ‘get’ is used in the sense of ‘to buy,’ as in the sentence ‘I want to get a pair of blue socks.’ If the verb ‘get’ is replaced by the verb ‘have’ in the same sentence, it conveys the idea of ‘to possess’ – ‘I want to have a pair of blue socks.’

Key Takeaways

• The verb ‘have’ often means ‘to possess,’ while ‘get’ typically means ‘to buy’ or ‘to acquire.’
• If ‘get’ is followed by ‘to,’ it gives the sense of ‘happened to,’ such as in the sentence ‘I get to know about its importance.’
• ‘Get’ frequently combines with various prepositions to form expressions, while ‘have’ rarely does so.