Get Going in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples

“Get going” is an informal phrase that can mean “start moving or leave” or “begin doing something.” In “It’s late, so we should get going,” it suggests leaving; in “I need to get going on my homework,” it means starting work. The surrounding words tell readers which meaning applies.

• Meaning 1: begin to move or leave a place.
• Meaning 2: begin an activity or cause something to start working.
• Register: informal and common in conversation.
• Grammar: the phrase keeps “going”; the verb “get” changes for tense and subject.
• Example: “Let’s get going before the rain begins.”

What does get going mean?

Get going has two closely related everyday meanings. It can mean to start to move or leave, as in “We’d better get going or we’ll miss the train.” It can also mean to start happening or begin doing something, as in “The project finally got going.” Cambridge Dictionary defines get going/moving as starting to go or move; Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries also records leaving and a project starting to happen or be done. (Cambridge Dictionary: get going; Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: get)

Context usually makes the intended sense clear. A destination, time, or travel detail points to leaving. A task or object after the phrase points to starting work: “get going on the presentation” or “get the old printer going.”

How do you use get going in a sentence?

For a child, try: “The bell rang, so we got going to the playground.” For a school assignment: “I got going on my reading log after dinner.” For a workplace example: “The new team got going with a short planning meeting.” The phrase is casual, so it fits conversation and informal writing more naturally than a formal report.

What words can follow get going?

Use get going alone when the activity or destination is understood: “It’s late; we should get going.” Add on before a task: “Let’s get going on the decorations.” Add a place or direction when the phrase means departing: “We need to get going to the station.”

When the subject is a project, event, or machine, get going can describe its start: “The campaign got going in June,” or “We got the engine going.” The transitive version get something going means to make it start or become active.

How does get change with tense?

The expression uses the verb get, so change that verb to match the sentence: “I get going early,” “she gets going at nine,” “we got going yesterday,” or “they are getting going now.” In American English, gotten is often used as the past participle of get; “We’ve got going” and “We’ve gotten going” may vary by dialect and context.

Get somebody going is a different pattern: it can mean making someone excited, angry, or talkative. “That song gets the audience going” means it energizes them, not simply that the audience leaves. Use the object somebody to show this separate meaning. (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: get somebody going)

Frequently asked questions about get going

What does get going mean?

Get going is an informal phrase meaning to start moving or leave, or to begin an activity. “We should get going” usually means depart, while “I’ll get going on dinner” means start preparing it. The sentence’s destination or task clue helps readers tell which sense is intended.

How do you use get going in a sentence?

Use the phrase for setting off or beginning: “It is almost noon, so we should get going,” or “I need to get going on my assignment.” Add on before a task, or a destination after the phrase when you mean to leave for a place.

Is get going the same as get started?

They often overlap when someone begins a task: “Let’s get going” and “Let’s get started” can both urge a group to begin. Get going can also mean to leave or start moving, a travel sense that get started usually does not express by itself.

Is get going formal or informal?

Get going is informal and natural in conversation, messages, and friendly instructions. In a formal report, choose a more specific verb such as begin, commence, depart, or launch. The best replacement depends on whether you mean starting an activity or leaving.

Have you ever heard the phrase “get going” but wondered what it really means? In a nutshell, “get going” is a casual expression that encourages someone to start something or to begin an action promptly.

In everyday conversations, you might hear people use “get going” to urge someone to get started on a task, project, or even just to encourage someone to move or leave. So next time you hear someone say “get going,” remember it’s a friendly way to motivate someone to start doing something.

7 Examples Of Get Going Used In a Sentence For Kids

• Let’s get going and have a fun day at school!
• It’s time to get going and play outside with our friends.
• Are you ready to get going and learn new things in class?
• We should get going and start singing our favorite songs.
• Let’s all get going and dance together in the classroom.
• The bell has rung, time to get going to the playground.
• Let’s get going and explore the colorful world around us.

14 Sentences with Get Going Examples

• Get going on your assignment before the deadline approaches.
• Make sure to get going on your preparations for the upcoming exams.
• Don’t procrastinate, it’s time to get going on your project.
• If you want to finish on time, you need to get going with your study schedule.
• Remember to get going on your part of the group project.
• The best way to succeed is to get going and start working towards your goals.
• Time is ticking, so get going with your research for the presentation.
• To excel in your studies, you must get going and stay focused.
• Don’t waste any more time, it’s time to get going with your extra-curricular activities.
• To avoid last-minute stress, it’s better to get going on your assignments early.
• The key to a successful college experience is to get going and make the most of every opportunity.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to get going on your internship applications.
• Make a to-do list and prioritize your tasks so you can get going on what’s most important.
• Take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, and get going on your college applications.

How To Use Get Going in Sentences?

To use Get Going in a sentence, think of it as a way to express the idea of starting or getting started on something. Simply insert the phrase into your sentence to signify that you are beginning an activity or moving forward with a plan.

For example, you could say, “I need to get going on my homework,” to convey that you should start working on your assignments. Another example could be, “It’s getting late, we should get going if we want to make it to the movie on time,” to indicate that you should start heading towards your destination.

Remember that “Get Going” is a casual and friendly way to encourage action or progress, so feel free to use it in everyday conversations with friends, family, or colleagues. It’s a versatile phrase that can be used in various contexts to urge yourself or others to begin or continue with a task or activity.

In summary, using Get Going in a sentence is a simple way to express the idea of starting or moving forward. Incorporate this phrase into your speech to motivate yourself or others to take action and make progress towards your goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, starting a task promptly or with enthusiasm is crucial for productivity and success. By getting going early, one sets a positive tone for the day and maximizes their time and energy. As shown in the examples of sentences with “get going,” getting started on a project or activity can lead to a sense of accomplishment and progress. It can also help prevent procrastination and ensure deadlines are met efficiently.

In our daily lives, the concept of “get going” serves as a reminder to take action and make progress towards our goals. Whether it’s getting going on a new project at work or starting an exercise routine, the key is to begin with determination and focus. So, let’s remember the importance of getting going and embrace this mindset to achieve our desired outcomes.