Grammar › Passive Voice › The Get Passive
The Get Passive
'Get' can replace 'be' in the passive, mostly in speech. Use it for:
- Sudden or unwanted events — He got injured; My bike got stolen.
- Changes of state and set phrases — get married, get dressed, get paid.
The get passive is informal — prefer the be passive (was stolen) in formal writing. Form: get + past participle.
The get passive
Swap be for get before the past participle. It sounds more informal.
| be passive | get passive |
|---|---|
| He was injured in the match. | He got injured in the match. |
| My bike was stolen. | My bike got stolen. |
| They were paid on Friday. | They got paid on Friday. |
Questions and negatives use do: Did you get paid? I didn’t get paid.
When to use it
1. Sudden or unwanted events
- She got hurt playing football. He got fired last week.
2. Changes of state and set phrases
- They got married in June. Hurry up and get dressed! I need to get used to the noise.
⚠️ The get passive is informal. In formal writing use be: The samples were tested (not
got tested).
Common mistakes
1. Mixing ‘be’ and ‘get’. It was got broken → It got broken (or It was broken).
2. No ‘do’ in questions/negatives. Was he get hurt? → Did he get hurt?
3. Using it in formal writing. The results got published in the journal → The results were published in the journal. Pro tip: get passive = informal, for things that happen to us; be passive = neutral and formal.
✏️ Practice: The Get Passive
1. My phone ___ stolen on the train. (informal)
2. They ___ married last summer.
3. Did you ___ paid this month?
4. He ___ hurt playing rugby.
5. I didn't ___ invited to the party.
6. Hurry up and ___ dressed!
7. Which sentence is more FORMAL?
8. Careful, or you'll ___ lost in the old town.
9. Correct this: 'He was got promoted last year.'
10. When is the get passive most natural?
Frequently asked questions
What is the get passive?
Using 'get' + past participle instead of 'be' + past participle: She got promoted (= was promoted). It's common in informal speech.
When do people use it?
For things that happen to us, especially sudden, unplanned or unwanted ones (get hurt, get fired, get caught) and in fixed expressions (get married, get dressed, get lost).
Is the get passive formal?
No — it's informal. In formal or written English, prefer the be passive: 'The window was broken', not 'got broken'.
How do I make questions and negatives?
Use 'do' with 'get': Did he get hurt? I didn't get paid. (Not 'was he got'.)
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “The Get Passive”:
- Can form the get passive with get + past participle (CEFR B2).
- Can use it for sudden/unwanted events and set phrases.
- Can choose the be passive for formal contexts.
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