What Does “Get sth past sth” Mean?
“Get something past something” means to succeed in making someone accept or approve something, often when it is difficult or unexpected.
Introduction
The phrase “Get sth past sth” is a useful English phrasal verb that often appears in both spoken and written English. It means managing to have something accepted, approved, or overlooked by someone or something, usually despite potential objections or difficulties. For example, you might “get a proposal past your boss,” meaning your boss agrees to it even though it was challenging. Understanding the “Get sth past sth meaning” helps learners use this phrase naturally when talking about gaining approval or permission in various situations.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Get something past something
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: To succeed in making someone accept or approve something
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Get sth past sth” is a separable phrasal verb. This means the object (something) comes between “get” and “past,” or after “past.”
- Get + object + past + object
- Example: Get the report past the manager.
Note: Both objects are necessary for the phrase to make sense.
How to Use “Get sth past sth”?
Use “Get sth past sth” when you want to express that you have succeeded in having something accepted or approved despite challenges. It often involves authority figures, rules, or obstacles. The first “sth” is the thing you want accepted, and the second “sth” is the person, group, or rule you must convince or bypass.
Examples
Imagine you want to introduce a new idea at work, but your boss is usually strict. You might say:
- “I finally got the new marketing plan past the director.”
- “She got the budget proposal past the finance team, even though it was tight.”
- “It’s hard to get new policies past the committee.”
- “They managed to get the software update past the IT department.”
- “I can’t get this excuse past my teacher again.”
These examples show how the phrase is used in different contexts to talk about approval or acceptance.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes learners confuse the order or use the phrase incorrectly. For example:
- Incorrect: “Get past the manager the report.”
- Correct: “Get the report past the manager.”
- Incorrect: “Get past something something.” (missing object)
- Correct: “Get the proposal past the board.”
Remember, the thing you want accepted comes right after “get,” followed by “past” and the person or obstacle.
Differences / Synonyms
Other phrasal verbs like “push through” or “get by” might seem similar but have different meanings. “Push through” means to force something to happen, often with effort, while “get by” means to manage or survive.
“Get sth past sth” specifically focuses on gaining approval or acceptance, not just managing or forcing. For example:
- “We need to get the plan past the committee.” (approval)
- “We need to push the plan through the committee.” (force the decision)
- “We need to get by with limited resources.” (manage with what you have)
Common Collocations
When using “Get sth past sth,” certain nouns commonly appear as objects:
- Get a proposal past – have a proposal accepted
- Get a rule past – have a rule approved
- Get a law past – pass a law through a governing body
- Get a bill past – have a bill approved
- Get an idea past – convince someone of an idea
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of get sth past sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “Get sth past sth”:
Anna: Did you manage to get the new schedule past your manager?
Ben: Yes, after explaining the benefits, she finally agreed.
Anna: That’s great! I hope I can get my proposal past the board next week.
Practice
Try to complete this sentence with the correct form of the phrase:
“We finally ______ the new policy ______ the committee after a long discussion.”
- a) got / past
- b) get / past
- c) gets / past
- d) got / over
FAQs
- Q: Is “get sth past sth” formal or informal?
A: It is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
- Q: Can I use “get sth past someone” and “get sth past something”?
A: Yes, “someone” or “something” can be the person or rule you need to convince or bypass.
- Q: What type of verb is “get sth past sth”?
A: It is a transitive phrasal verb that requires two objects.
- Q: Can I separate the objects in this phrasal verb?
A: Yes, the object you want accepted comes between “get” and “past.”
- Q: Is “get sth past sth” the same as “push sth through”?
A: Not exactly. “Get sth past sth” means gaining approval, while “push sth through” means forcing it to happen.
