Get vs. Got: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on February 29, 2024
"Get" is a verb meaning to receive, obtain, or understand something, while "Got" is its past tense, indicating the action has already occurred.
Key Differences
"Get" is used to express the action of receiving or obtaining something in the present or future tense. "Got" signifies that this action was completed in the past.
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Feb 29, 2024
In terms of usage, "Get" can imply the process of acquiring or understanding, while "Got" often denotes that the process is completed or the understanding is achieved.
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Feb 29, 2024
"Get" is versatile, used in various grammatical structures, such as questions or commands. "Got" is more definitive, indicating a concluded action or state.
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Feb 29, 2024
In informal speech, "Get" can mean becoming or starting to be, as in getting tired. "Got" in this context reflects a past state, such as got tired.
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Feb 29, 2024
"Get" forms part of phrases and idioms, often indicating an ongoing action. "Got", in similar phrases, reflects a completed action or a state reached in the past.
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Feb 29, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Usage in Sentences
Indicates ongoing or future action.
Signifies completed action or past state.
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Implication
Process of acquiring or beginning something.
Completion or achievement of something.
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Forms in Grammar
Used in various grammatical constructions.
Generally used in simple past constructions.
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Use in Phrases
Indicates ongoing process or action.
Reflects a completed process or past action.
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Get and Got Definitions
Got
Succeeded in attaining, achieving, or experiencing.
He got accepted into college.
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Jan 15, 2024
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Got
Expressing obligation; used with have.
I can't go out tonight: I've got to study for my exams.
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Get
To acquire as a result of action or effort
He got his information from the internet. You can't get water out of a stone.
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Get
To obtain by concession or request
Couldn't get the time off.
Got permission to go.
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Got
Past participle of get
By that time we'd got very cold.
I've got two children.
How many children have you got?
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Get
To succeed in communicating with, as by telephone
Can't get me at the office until nine.
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Get
To become affected with (an illness, for example) by infection or exposure; catch
Get the flu.
Got the mumps.
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Get
To receive as retribution or punishment
Got six years in prison for tax fraud.
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Get
To perceive or become aware of by one of the senses
Get a whiff of perfume.
Got a look at the schedule.
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Get
To procreate; beget
“Is my life given me for nothing but to get children and work to bring them up?” (D.H. Lawrence).
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Get
To cause to become or be in a specified state or condition
Got the children tired and cross.
Got the shirt clean.
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Get
To cause to undertake or perform; prevail on
Got the guide to give us the complete tour.
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Get
To take, especially by force; seize
The detective got the suspect as he left the restaurant.
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Get
To evoke an emotional response or reaction in
Romantic music really gets me.
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Get
To present a difficult problem to; puzzle
“It's the suspect's indifference that gets me,” the detective said.
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Get
(Informal) To hit or strike
She got him on the chin. The bullet got him in the arm.
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Get
To begin or start. Used with the present participle
I have to get working on this or I'll miss my deadline.
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Get
To have current possession of. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
We've got plenty of cash.
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Get
(Nonstandard) To have current possession of. Used in the past tense form with the meaning of the present
They got a nice house in town.
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Get
To have as an obligation. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
I have got to leave early. You've got to do the dishes.
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Get
(Nonstandard) To have as an obligation. Used in the past tense with the meaning of the present
They got to clean up this mess.
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Get
To be able or permitted
Never got to see Europe.
Finally got to work at home.
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Get
Used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary
Got stung by a bee.
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Get
To become drawn in, entangled, or involved
Got into debt.
Get into a hassle.
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Get
To work for gain or profit; make money
Do you feel as though you're exhausting yourself getting and not making enough for spending?.
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Get
(Sports) A return, as in tennis, on a shot that seems impossible to reach.
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Get
A document presented by a husband to his wife whereby a divorce is effected between them according to Jewish religious law.
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Get
(ditransitive) To obtain; to acquire.
I'm going to get a computer tomorrow from the discount store.
Lance is going to get Mary a ring.
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Get
(transitive) To receive.
I got a computer from my parents for my birthday.
You need to get permission to leave early.
He got a severe reprimand for that.
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Get
(transitive) To fetch, bring, take.
Can you get my bag from the living-room, please?
I need to get this to the office.
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Get
(copulative) To become, or cause oneself to become.
I'm getting hungry; how about you?
I'm going out to get drunk.
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Get
(transitive) To cause to become; to bring about.
That song gets me so depressed every time I hear it.
I'll get this finished by lunchtime.
I can't get these boots off (or on).
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Get
(transitive) To cause to do.
Somehow she got him to agree to it.
I can't get it to work.
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Get
To adopt, assume, arrive at, or progress towards (a certain position, location, state).
The actors are getting into position.
When are we going to get to London?
I'm getting into a muddle.
We got behind the wall.
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Get
(transitive) To cover (a certain distance) while travelling.
To get a mile
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Get
(intransitive) To begin (doing something or to do something).
We ought to get moving or we'll be late.
After lunch we got chatting.
I'm getting to like him better now.
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Get
(transitive) To take or catch (a scheduled transportation service).
I normally get the 7:45 train.
I'll get the 9 a.m. [flight] to Boston.
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Get
(transitive) To respond to (a telephone call, a doorbell, etc).
Can you get that call, please? I'm busy.
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Get
To be able, be permitted, or have the opportunity (to do something desirable or ironically implied to be desirable).
I'm so jealous that you got to see them perform live!
The finders get to keep 80 percent of the treasure.
Great. I get to clean the toilets today.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
To be told; be the recipient of (a question, comparison, opinion, etc.).
"You look just like Helen Mirren." / "I get that a lot."
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Get
(informal) To be. Used to form the passive of verbs.
He got bitten by a dog.
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Get
(transitive) To become ill with or catch (a disease).
I went on holiday and got malaria.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
To catch out, trick successfully.
He keeps calling pretending to be my boss—it gets me every time.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
To bring to reckoning; to catch (as a criminal); to effect retribution.
The cops finally got me.
I'm gonna get him for that.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
(transitive) To hear completely; catch.
Sorry, I didn't get that. Could you repeat it?
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Get
(transitive) To getter.
I put the getter into the container to get the gases.
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Get
(archaic) To learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; sometimes with out.
To get a lesson;
To get out one's Greek lesson
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Get
Used with a personal pronoun to indicate that someone is being pretentious or grandiose.
Get her with her new hairdo.
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Get
A divorce granted by a Rabbi in accordance with Jewish law; also, the document attesting to the divorce.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
To procure; to obtain; to gain possession of; to acquire; to earn; to obtain as a price or reward; to come by; to win, by almost any means; as, to get favor by kindness; to get wealth by industry and economy; to get land by purchase, etc.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Hence, with have and had, to come into or be in possession of; to have.
Thou hast got the face of man.
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Get
To beget; to procreate; to generate.
I had rather to adopt a child than get it.
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Get
To obtain mental possession of; to learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; as to get a lesson; also with out; as, to get out one's Greek lesson.
It being harder with him to get one sermon by heart, than to pen twenty.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
To procure to be, or to cause to be in any state or condition; - with a following participle.
Those things I bid you do; get them dispatched.
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Get
To betake; to remove; - in a reflexive use.
Get thee out from this land.
He . . . got himself . . . to the strong town of Mega.
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Get
To make acquisition; to gain; to profit; to receive accessions; to be increased.
We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get.
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Get
To arrive at, or bring one's self into, a state, condition, or position; to come to be; to become; - with a following adjective or past participle belonging to the subject of the verb; as, to get sober; to get awake; to get beaten; to get elected.
To get rid of fools and scoundrels.
His chariot wheels get hot by driving fast.
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Come into the possession of something concrete or abstract;
She got a lot of paintings from her uncle
They acquired a new pet
Get your results the next day
Get permission to take a few days off from work
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Enter or assume a certain state or condition;
He became annoyed when he heard the bad news
It must be getting more serious
Her face went red with anger
She went into ecstasy
Get going!
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition;
He got his squad on the ball
This let me in for a big surprise
He got a girl into trouble
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Receive a specified treatment (abstract);
These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation
His movie received a good review
I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions
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Get
Reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress;
She arrived home at 7 o'clock
She didn't get to Chicago until after midnight
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Get
Go or come after and bring or take back;
Get me those books over there, please
Could you bring the wine?
The dog fetched the hat
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Of mental or physical states or experiences;
Get an idea
Experience vertigo
Get nauseous
Undergo a strange sensation
The chemical undergoes a sudden change
The fluid undergoes shear
Receive injuries
Have a feeling
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Get
Take vengeance on or get even;
We'll get them!
That'll fix him good!
This time I got him
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Achieve a point or goal;
Nicklaus had a 70
The Brazilian team got 4 goals
She made 29 points that day
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Get
Cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner;
The ads induced me to buy a VCR
My children finally got me to buy a computer
My wife made me buy a new sofa
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase;
We finally got the suspect
Did you catch the thief?
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes);
He grew a beard
The patient developed abdominal pains
I got funny spots all over my body
Well-developed breasts
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Get
Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness;
He got AIDS
She came down with pneumonia
She took a chill
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Get
Communicate with a place or person; establish communication with, as if by telephone;
Bill called this number and he got Mary
The operator couldn't get Kobe because of the earthquake
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Get
Give certain properties to something;
Get someone mad
She made us look silly
He made a fool of himself at the meeting
Don't make this into a big deal
This invention will make you a millionaire
Make yourself clear
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Grasp with the mind or develop an undersatnding of;
Did you catch that allusion?
We caught something of his theory in the lecture
Don't catch your meaning
Did you get it?
She didn't get the joke
I just don't get him
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Attract and fix;
His look caught her
She caught his eye
Catch the attention of the waiter
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Get
Reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot;
The rock caught her in the back of the head
The blow got him in the back
The punch caught him in the stomach
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Get
Acquire as a result of some effort or action;
You cannot get water out of a stone
Where did she get these news?
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Get
Perceive by hearing;
I didn't catch your name
She didn't get his name when they met the first time
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Get
Irritate;
Her childish behavior really get to me
His lying really gets me
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Get
Apprehend and reproduce accurately;
She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings
She got the mood just right in her photographs
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
In baseball: earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher;
He drew a base on balls
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Get
Overcome or destroy;
The ice storm got my hibiscus
The cat got the goldfish
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Be a mystery or bewildering to;
This beats me!
Got me--I don't know the answer!
A vexing problem
This question really stuck me
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Take the first step or steps in carrying out an action;
We began working at dawn
Who will start?
Get working as soon as the sun rises!
The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
He began early in the day
Let's get down to work now
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Undergo (as of injuries and illnesses);
She suffered a fracture in the accident
He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
She got a bruise on her leg
He got his arm broken in the scuffle
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Jan 15, 2024
Get
Make children;
Abraham begot Isaac
Men often father children but don't recognize them
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
How is 'got' used differently from 'get'?
'Got' is the past tense of 'get', used to indicate a completed action.
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Feb 29, 2024
Is 'got' used in past perfect tense?
Yes, as in "I had got" or "I had gotten" in American English.
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Feb 29, 2024
What is the basic meaning of 'get'?
'Get' means to receive, obtain, or come to have something.
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Feb 29, 2024
Can 'get' be used in future tense?
Yes, 'get' can be used for future actions, e.g., "I will get it tomorrow."
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Feb 29, 2024
Can 'got' imply possession?
Yes, 'got' can imply possession as in "I've got a car."
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Feb 29, 2024
Is 'get' used in idiomatic expressions?
Yes, 'get' is used in many idioms like "get going" or "get lost."
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Feb 29, 2024
Does 'get' have different meanings?
Yes, 'get' can mean obtain, become, understand, among others.
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Feb 29, 2024
Can 'got' be used in idioms?
Yes, but less frequently than 'get', e.g., "got the hang of it."
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Feb 29, 2024
Is 'got' used in passive voice?
Less commonly, but it can be, e.g., "got chosen."
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Feb 29, 2024
Can 'got' be used in questions?
Yes, particularly in past tense questions, e.g., "Did you got the news?"
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Feb 29, 2024
Is 'get' used in informal speech?
Yes, 'get' is common in casual conversation.
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Feb 29, 2024
How is 'get' used in commands?
It's used to instruct or request, e.g., "Get me a drink."
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Feb 29, 2024
Can 'got' be used in commands?
No, 'got' is not typically used in commands.
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Feb 29, 2024
Can 'get' indicate a change of state?
Yes, e.g., "get tired" or "get excited."
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Feb 29, 2024
Does 'got' indicate a change of state?
Yes, for past events, e.g., "got tired."
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Feb 29, 2024
Are there any irregular forms of 'get'?
Yes, 'got' and 'gotten' (in American English) are irregular forms.
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Feb 29, 2024
How is 'get' used in questions?
It's often used to inquire about receiving or understanding, e.g., "Did you get the mail?"
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Feb 29, 2024
Is 'got' always the past tense of 'get'?
In most contexts, yes, 'got' is the past tense of 'get'.
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Feb 29, 2024
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Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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