Phrasal verb
get on for
Definition
phrasal verb. to be close to a certain time, age, or number.
phrasal verb. to approach a specific time, age, or amount; typically used in the progressive aspect to indicate an approximation.
Examples
“It's getting on for midnight, so we should leave.”
“He must be getting on for eighty now, but he still goes for a run every morning.”
“The total cost of the renovations is getting on for fifty thousand pounds, which is significantly over the original budget.”
Examples
simple
“It's getting on for midnight, so we should leave.”
contextual
“He must be getting on for eighty now, but he still goes for a run every morning.”
complex
“The total cost of the renovations is getting on for fifty thousand pounds, which is significantly over the original budget.”
Usage
almost always used in the continuous form 'getting on for'.
Teaching tip
this is a British English idiom; help students by comparing it to 'approaching' or 'nearly', and note that it is followed by a noun phrase representing a limit.
Pitfall
It gets on for ten o'clock.
It's getting on for ten o'clock.
this phrase is almost exclusively used in the present continuous to show a process of approaching a time or number.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
get + on + for + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/get-on-for