get on
High (C1 on CEFR scale for phrasal verbs)Informal to neutral. Common in spoken and written English, but often avoided in very formal writing.
Definition
Meaning
To board or mount a vehicle (bus, train, plane, etc.) or to make progress with a task or activity.
1. To have a harmonious relationship with someone. 2. To manage or cope, especially with age or difficult circumstances. 3. To become late or older. 4. To succeed or advance in life. 5. (British) To scold or criticize someone.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Get on" is a highly polysemous phrasal verb. Its core meanings are spatial (boarding) and aspectual (progressing). The relational meaning ("/get on/ with someone") is one of the most common uses in British English. The 'progress' meaning often implies steady, continued effort rather than a sudden breakthrough.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The 'relational' sense ("They /get on/ well") is far more common in UK English. In US English, "get along" is strongly preferred for this meaning. The sense 'to scold' ("He /got on/ at me about the mess") is almost exclusively British. The 'progress' and 'boarding' senses are used in both varieties.
Connotations
In UK English, "/get on/ with it" can have a mild imperative connotation of urging someone to stop delaying. The relational use in UK English is neutral-to-positive.
Frequency
"Get on" is significantly more frequent in British National Corpus than in the Corpus of Contemporary American English, largely due to the relational sense.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + get on + [Vehicle/Object][Subject] + get on + with + [Person/Task][Subject] + get on + at + [Person] (for criticising)[Subject] + get on + in + [Life/Years/Career]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Get on like a house on fire”
- “Get on your high horse”
- “Time's getting on”
- “Get on the bandwagon”
- “Get on the wrong side of someone”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"We need to /get on/ with the quarterly report." (Focus on task progress)
Academic
Rare in formal academic prose, but may appear in reported speech or informal instruction.
Everyday
Ubiquitous: "Hurry up and /get on/ the bus!" "How do you /get on/ with your new neighbours?"
Technical
Not typically used in technical contexts unless describing a physical boarding process (e.g., aviation, transport logistics).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We should /get on/; it's nearly midnight.
- Do you /get on/ with your in-laws?
- The teacher kept /getting on/ at me for talking.
American English
- Let's /get on/ the next flight to Chicago.
- He's really /getting on/ with that project.
- As you /get on/ in years, your perspective changes.
adjective
British English
- He's very /get-on-and-do-it/ sort of person. (rare, as compound modifier)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please /get on/ the bus here.
- I /get on/ well with my brother.
- It's /getting on/; we should go home.
- She /got on/ the train just before it left.
- How are you /getting on/ with your English studies?
- My parents are /getting on/ a bit now.
- Despite the setbacks, we must /get on/ and finish the job.
- The new manager and the team didn't /get on/ from the start.
- He's very ambitious and wants to /get on/ in his career.
- The committee has been /getting on/ at the director for greater transparency.
- As the evening /got on/, the conversation turned to more serious matters.
- They /got on/ famously, discovering a shared passion for jazz.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a person trying to /GET ON/ a moving bus (core meaning). Once ON the bus, they must /GET ON/ with their journey (progress). If they /GET ON/ well with the driver, the journey is pleasant (relationship).
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY ("getting on in life", "getting on in years"). SOCIAL HARMONY IS PROXIMITY/SHARING A VEHICLE ("we get on"). PROGRESS IS FORWARD MOTION ("get on with your work").
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating the relational sense "get on with" literally as *"получить на с кем-то". Use "ладить с" or "быть в хороших отношениях".
- The phrase "get on the bus" does not imply obtaining or receiving the bus; it's purely spatial "сесть в/на автобус".
- "Get on with it!" is an idiom meaning "Начинай уже!" or "Хватит медлить!", not *"Получи это с этим!".
Common Mistakes
- *I get on my sister. (Missing preposition: I get on WITH my sister.)
- *She got on the work. (For 'progress', needs 'with': She got on WITH the work.)
- Using "get on" for romantic relationships sounds odd; "get along" is better. (??They are getting on. vs. They are getting along.)
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'get on' used in a primarily British sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For the meaning of 'having a good relationship', 'get along' is standard in American English and common in British English. 'Get on' (with) is the primary choice in British English. In all other senses (boarding, progressing), they are not interchangeable.
The spatial sense ("board") is acceptable in neutral contexts. The relational and progressive senses are considered informal. In formal writing, prefer synonyms like 'embark', 'board', 'progress', 'proceed', or 'have a good relationship with'.
No, 'get on' is generally inseparable. You cannot say *'I got the bus on'. The object (the bus, the task) comes after the complete phrasal verb. The exception is the rare, dated British slang "Get it on!" meaning 'Start!' or 'Fight!'.
Use the structure: [Subject] + is/are getting on. or [Subject] + is/are getting on a bit/a little/in years. It is a mild, often polite way to say someone is becoming old or that time is passing (e.g., "He's getting on now, so he's retiring." or "Time's getting on, we should leave.").