Today we are better than we were yesterday and tomorrow even better

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

TERM I
SUPPORT MATERIAL - USE OF ENGLISH -GRAMMAR # 8
CONFUSING WORDS REACH - GET - ARRIVE
Name : Class: 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th Level: FCE PLUS
EXAM LEADER: Blanca Ruiz de Somocurcio Date: Teacher:

Skill: Reading comprehension

Indicator: Recognizes information in order to answer multiple choice, multiple matching and gap text
exercises connected through skimming and scanning, perceives messages from the text and interprets it on
his / her own.

Instructions: This is information that will help you solving Paper 1 USE OF ENGLISH in FCE exam. The
words REACH, GET, and ARRIVE, may sound very similar, however they differ according to the sentence
involved. Here is some information that will help you to recognize which to use, and 2 exercises to check
your comprehension.
WHEN DO WE USE GET , REACH and ARRIVE?

REACH, GET(to a destination), and ARRIVE are very similar, they imply you made it to the final destination. I
reached my goal, I arrived home, I finally got there.
BUT there is some specific usage for them:

REACH implies you were farther away and you finally reached the destination. Often it is used in a context
where there were difficulties in the way. But not necessarily. It implies the goal is achieved, you reached
your destination.
Despite the storm on the sea we reached the shore safe and sound.

GET (to a destination) means you made it there, you arrived.

I got home at 10

ARRIVE means you got there. It is used also in a context of transportation, like planes, buses, trains.
I arrived at 10 / The bus is scheduled to arrive at 10.

EXERCISE 1: Choose the word or verb that best fits each gap. Put an X in each box.

1. She arrived _____________ Paris last night.

in at
2. Which means 'be informed of a decision'?

get a decision reach a decision arrive at a decision

3. I _____________ late for the meeting.

reached got arrived arrived at got to

4. What time did you get _____________?

home to home
5. I rang several times, but couldn't get _____________.

------- through
EXERCISE 2: Complete the following exercise with the correct verb REACH GET - ARRIVE
Be CAREFUL with the tense used in each sentence.

1. I am not tall enough. I can't _____________ the shelf.

2. When you _____________ at the station, give me a ring, please.

3. Yesterday, I _____________ into my pocket and found 100 dollars.

4. Teresa's baby _____________ just after midnight last Saturday.

5. When Ted was a young boy he _____________ a red scooter from his grandparents.

6. You won't _____________ this job because you are not adequately qualified.

7. The man _____________ for the gun as fast as he could.

8. In Poland, it _____________dark in winter very early.

9. We didn't _____________at the bus station on time so we missed our bus.

10. What did you ____________ from your parents for Christmas?

11. I have _____________in London in order to improve my English.

12. We were calling all day but couldn't _____________ them. Nobody was home.

13. The train is due to _____________ at ten o'clock. Don't be late, please.

14. My father _____________it from his mother in 1960.

15. She _____________ into her bag and took out her wallet.
16. What time does the train _______________ in?

17. It took them ages to _____________ a decision.

18. When we _____________ to the party, she'd already gone home.

19. When will she _____________?

20. Can you _____________ the sugar? I'm not tall enough

Source: Retrieved from: https://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/279.html on March 16th 2017