get something finished vs finish something

  • Copyright

    Senior Member
    American English
    They mean virtually the same thing but I would probably use them slightly differently... with finish my assignment for a routine task and assignment finished for a little more force or emotion.

    I'd love to go but I want to finish my assignment.
    I want to finish my assignment before I have lunch.

    I want to get my assignment finished. (I want it done, over with, put behind me... so I can do something else.) In real life, if I disliked the assignment for some reason, I wouldn't take possession of it by using "my." I would say I want to get this assignment finished.
     
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    b1947420

    Senior Member
    British English
    Hi, guys.

    Is there any differences in its nuance between "I want to get my assignment finished" and "I want to finish my assgignment."?

    It almost certainly is not the case but by saying "I want to get ...." could open a doubt as to whether you or someone else is going to take the action.
    "I want to finish ..." should not create any doubt that you are the subject of the action.
     

    ullas84

    Senior Member
    turkish
    They mean virtually the same thing but I would probably use them slightly differently... with finish my assignment for a routine task and assignment finished for a little more force or emotion.

    I'd love to go but I want to finish my assignment.
    I want to finish my assignment before I have lunch.

    I want to get my assignment finished. (I want it done, over with, put behind me... so I can do something else.) In real life, if I disliked the assignment for some reason, I wouldn't take possession of it by using "my." I would say I want to get this assignment finished.
    İn Cambridege Grammer İn Use book, the definition about the subject is;

    We use ''get something done'' to say that we arrange for somebody else to do something for us.

    EX:

    Lisa repaired the roof (she repaired it herself)

    Lisa had the roof repaired (She arranged for somebody else to repair it)

    but in your example sentence the meaning is different.

    I want to get my assignment finished( I will do it myself , I will not arrange somebody else)

    but this sentence can have two different meanings , this situation is ambigious in my opinion

    it can mean ''I will arrange somebody to finish it( according to cambridge)'' or it can mean ( I will do it , I want it done , put behind)

    What is your opinion about this situation?

    Thanks in advance
     

    DonnyB

    Moderator Emeritus
    English UK Southern Standard English
    I want to get my assignment finished( I will do it myself , I will not arrange somebody else)

    but this sentence can have two different meanings , this situation is ambigious in my opinion

    it can mean ''I will arrange somebody to finish it( according to cambridge)'' or it can mean ( I will do it , I want it done , put behind)

    What is your opinion about this situation?
    I think it's probably a peculiarity of the way we use the verb "get" in English.

    To me, "I want to get my assignment finished" can only mean I want to hurry up and finish it (myself), not I'm going to ask someone else to finish it for me.

    On the other hand "I want to get my car repaired tomorrow" has the reverse meaning of I'm going to arrange for someone to do it.
     

    ullas84

    Senior Member
    turkish
    I think it's probably a peculiarity of the way we use the verb "get" in English.

    To me, "I want to get my assignment finished" can only mean I want to hurry up and finish it (myself), not I'm going to ask someone else to finish it for me.

    On the other hand "I want to get my car repaired tomorrow" has the reverse meaning of I'm going to arrange for someone to do it.
    What is the situation for ''Get + something + done''

    ''I will get it done''

    Does it mean;

    A)I will arrange for somebody to do it

    B)I will do it myself.
     

    DonnyB

    Moderator Emeritus
    English UK Southern Standard English
    What is the situation for ''Get + something + done''

    ''I will get it done''

    Does it mean;

    A)I will arrange for somebody to do it

    B)I will do it myself.
    It could mean either (A) or (B), depending on what "it" refers to.
     

    ullas84

    Senior Member
    turkish
    I want to get my assignment finished( I will do it myself , I will not arrange somebody else)

    I got it completely.

    if I made this sentence with ''have '' instead of ''get'', would the meaning be same with the sentence that includes ''get''?

    I want to have my assignment finished.

    Does it mean I want to finish my assigment myself or I will arrange for someone to finish it?
     

    sound shift

    Senior Member
    English - England
    if I made this sentence with ''have '' instead of ''get'', would the meaning be same with the sentence that includes ''get''?

    I want to have my assignment finished.

    Does it mean I want to finish my assigment myself or I will arrange for someone to finish it?
    It's not the same as "I want to get my assignment finished".

    If that's a complete sentence, it's a very unlikely one. It becomes more viable if we add some words: "I want to have my assignment finished by Monday" (I will do it myself).
     
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