Got approved presents something that happened to the application. Get-passives often emphasise the event or its effect on someone; was approved is a more neutral alternative.
The idea
Use get/gets/got + past participle. In simple-tense questions and negatives, use do/does/did + get: Did it get sent?, It didn't get damaged. Be-passives are more general and are often preferable in formal reports.
Examples
- The spare key got thrown away by mistake.
- Nina got promoted after the project.
- Did the invitation get sent to your old address?
- The screen didn't get damaged in the fall.
- I got myself locked out by leaving the key inside.
- Our application finally got approved.
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Watch out
Get-passives are not limited to bad news: promotion and approval can be welcome. They do not automatically blame the subject. Got myself locked out can suggest personal involvement; this example also explicitly names the mistake. Not every get + adjective expression is a passive.
Try it yourself
Choose the correct option. Our application finally got ___. (approved / approve)
Show answer or example answer
approved
Approved is the participle after got. The application receives approval; it does not approve something itself.
Choose the correct option. Did the invitation ___ sent to your old address? (get / got)
Show answer or example answer
get
After did, use base form get. Past tense is already marked on did, so not did ... got.
Choose the correct option. The screen didn't get ___ in the fall. (damaged / damage)
Show answer or example answer
damaged
Damaged is the participle in the negative get-passive. Didn't negates the event: the fall did not damage the screen.
Practice round
Answer questions and rebuild English sentences to practise. Your score is shown.
Choose the correct option. Our application finally got ___. (approved / approve)
Choose the correct option. Did the invitation ___ sent to your old address? (get / got)
Choose the correct option. The screen didn't get ___ in the fall. (damaged / damage)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe a welcome event and an unwanted event with got + participle. Rewrite both with was/were for a neutral report. Explain why the grammatical form alone does not prove fault.