Get me

Status
Not open for further replies.

englishhobby

Key Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Does "get me" always mean "buy" in a context like the following:
Get me some batteries, please.

Can a teacher say to a student Get me a piece of chalk (from another classroom).
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Does "get me" always mean "buy" in a context like the following:
Get me some batteries, please. No.

Can a teacher say to a student Get me a piece of chalk (from another classroom). Yes.
`
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
You haven't provided any context, just one sentence.

"Get me" doesn't mean to buy. It can, but it doesn't have to.

"I'm going to the store."
"Get me some batteries, please."

In that context it means to buy. In a different context, it means to go fetch.

"Honey, get me some batteries from the closet next time you're up."

-

Yes, a teacher can say that to a student, though "Go get me..." would be more common.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England

AlexAD

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Belarus
Current Location
United States
Unless you are doing some book English exercises, the combination 'a piece of chalk' would sound really awkward to me if I heard that in a real conversation or informal writing (like an Internet blog). Though I could imagine somebody say 'Go get me a chalk' or 'Go get me some chalk'.

Can you guys please comment on that?

P.S. I'm sorry if I'm hijacking this thread.


 

riquecohen

VIP Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
Brazil
Both "..a piece of chalk" and "...some chalk" sound natural to me. "A chalk" does not.
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I wouldn't say "a chalk." I would say "a piece of" or "some."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top