Now it's interesting that we use get as a verb of motion. Often, when it's difficult to actually move. Have you noticed that we say,
Would you like to get into my car.
Now, you go into your house, you open the door and you walk in. You don't usually get into your house, but you get into a car. Why? Because you have to bend down usually to get in. So you get into a car. Perhaps you're up a ladder, you know, a ladder, which takes you upwards. If you're painting a wall, for example. And you don't like heights. So you find it difficult to get down the ladder. To get down. It means just to step down, to walk down the ladder.
Now, we might say, to get into a house, especially if there's some difficulty. For a burglar, for example, somebody who breaks a window and gets into your house that way. So last year, a burglar got into my house, he broke the window and opened it from the inside and got in and stole a television. So there, it's difficult because he has to break the window. So there we do say to get into the house.
I can't get in. The door's locked.
The old lady can't get across the road, there's too much traffic.
The cat's climbed up the tree, and now it can't get down.
Nobody can get to their homes because of the floods.
We've put the biscuit tin on the top shelf so that little Jonny can't get at/to it. (reach)
And then also - it's not a really a verb of motion. But in this case, if you have a bottle or a jar, and you want to open it, for example, a jar of marmalade and sometimes when it's new, it's difficult to get the top off - to get the lid off. That's the bit you have to turn and open so that you can get to/at the marmalade inside. It's difficult to get the top off.
I can't get the car out of the garage. The door won't open.
So, it means we use 'get' for movement in both ways. What I mean is, the person's movement and moving a thing or person. If you are stuck somewhere, then somebody will try to get you out. In other words, to rescue you.
Story of the little boy who fell down a bore hole.
I apologise for using two men to rescue somebody in this story. The problem is, the dialogue takes a lot of editing if I use a woman's voice! If I had used two women, the voices sound exactly the same! I need to practise more!
Dave (London): 'Where's old Mr Mortimer?'
Jeffrey (Surrey – nice part): 'I think he's taken the lift.'
'What! That's crazy! In a burning building, and he took the lift!'
'Look!'
'What?'
'Up there. Above the lift door.'
'The light's showing the third floor. It's not moving. The lift has stopped moving. He's stuck at the third floor.'
'That's the floor below. Let's get down there. We can try and get the doors open by forcing them. I brought this steel bar I had in the flat. I thought it might come in handy. Sorry. I know we're neighbours but I don't remember your name.'
'John, John Stevens.'
Jeffrey Fawcett-Smythe.'
'Right, Jeffrey. It's just you and me. Everybody else has left the building, I reckon. Let's go!
…
Here we are. I'll try and push the lift doors open with the bar and you pull from the other side.
(sounds of effort)
'I say. They're opening. We're managing to get them open.'
'Bloody Hell. It's dark in there! Where's the lift?'
'Look, Dave! Look down there. That's the roof of the lift. He's stuck between the third and second floors.'
'Mr Mortimer! Are you in there? Are you in the lift?' (echo)
'Yes. I'm in here. The lift won't move. I can't get down to the ground floor. Am I going to die?'
(Dave) 'Not if we can help it. We're going to get you out.'
'But how, Dave?'
'We'll have to get down there somehow. We'll have to get the roof off and pull him out. Then get him up here, and down the stairs.'
'Let's be quick about it! It's getting warm. The flames are moving up the building.'
'I'll go. I used to be in the army.'
'Look. There are holes in the sides of the lift shaft, where you can put your feet.'
'You're right.' (effort)
'How are you doing?'
'I've got down. Throw the bar down. I'll try and get part of the roof off.' (sound of bar falling)
(effort and metallic sound)
'How's it going?'
'I've got part of the roof off. Hello. Mr Mortimer. I'm up here!'
'I can't get up there. I'm 82 years old. I can't get through that hole.'
(Dave) 'I'll have to get in the lift, Jeffrey, and lift Mr Mortimer up and you can pull him out. So you'll have to get down here, quick.'
'John. It's no good coming back up here. The flames are getting higher. We can't get down the stairs.'
'So, now what?'
'Look, Dave. Next to you there's a sort of lever by the cable. It must be an emergency brake of some sort. If we move it, it might let the lift go downwards.'
'You know? I think you're right. Get down here, David, and let's release the brake.'
'I'm coming down.' (effort)
(John) 'Ok. Let's do it. Let's release the brake.'
'What if the lift just falls straight down. All three of us will be killed.'
'We have no choice. There no other way. Mr Mortimer, sit down on the floor of the lift. We're going to release the brake, and we're not sure what's going to happen exactly.'
'Here we go on an elevator to Hell!'
(Sound effect of all three falling!)
Silence.
Dave, Jeffrey and old Mr Mortimer appear through the doors of the burning building. A crowd of people are waiting for them. They have got out safely.
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