Getting to Know the Verb 'Get'

  From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. So, Alice, what did you do last night? Well, I was at home, getting ready to go to the movies. I was getting my shoes on when I got a feeling that something strange was going to happen. I've gotten those feelings, too. Then, I left the house, and got a cab, and got to the movies as fast as I could. Did you get there on time? Yes! But as soon as I got into the theater, I got a phone call from someone whose voice I didn’t recognize. That’s when things started to get weird… Did you notice anything unusual in this story? The verb get is used 10 times -- and with several different meanings. Get is one of the most commonly used, most tricky, and sometimes most hated words for English learners. When learning this verb, it is best to keep a sense of humor. That is because the verb has more than 50 uses, such as when it appears as part of at least 12 phrasal verbs or other expressions. Today on Everyday Grammar, we explore this simple three-letter word with many meanings. But don’t worry. By the time you come to the end of the program, we hope you will begin to enjoy this captivating and changeable verb. We will consider a few of the most common meanings of get and offer some ideas on how to use the verb. Let’s start with a very common meaning of get, which is to receive, obtain, or buy. The structure is: get + direct object Listening or reading for clues and then recognizing the meaning from those clues is the best way of explaining this meaning. For example, take the following sentence: I got an email from my friend Penelope. In this sentence, does ‘got’ mean received, obtained, or bought? Here, the word got means received. We know that the person did not buy the email. We also know that they did not obtain it, since obtain means to acquire by effort. Let’s try another sentence: I just got a new sofa! In this example, does got mean received, obtained, or bought? It probably means bought, since the speaker does not provide any evidence that it was received.   But, in this statement, whether the speaker bought the sofa or obtained it in some other way is not very important. The most important thing to know here is that the speaker did not receive the sofa – they obtained it in some way. Now, let’s turn to a different meaning of get. This one means to bring or fetch. The structure is: get + direct object Listen to this example: I’m going outside to get the mail. Sometimes, however, the structure can be: get + indirect object + direct object Listen to the example: Could you get me my phone? It’s in the bedroom upstairs. In this sentence, the direct object is my phone and the indirect object is me. This is a structure you can use to ask someone to bring something to you. You would probably not use it unless the thing were fairly close. For example, if you left your mobile phone at a friend’s house, and you will see the friend tomorrow, you would not say: Could you get me my phone tomorrow? Instead, you would say: Could you bring me my phone tomorrow? Now, you try it. Ask someone to bring something nearby to you. Our next meaning of get is to arrive somewhere. There are two structures here. The first is:           get + location adverb   The second is: get + to + location Listen to a few examples: What time will you get here? I got to Tokyo at 6 a.m. I got to the concert late. In these examples, the clue to the meaning of get is the name of a place right after the verb, such as “Tokyo,” “the movies,” “here” or “there.” Our last meaning of get on today’s program is to become. The structure is: get + adjective Listen to a few examples: The food is getting cold. I get nervous when I have to speak in public. In this use, the verb get simply replaces the verb become. You will recognize this easily when you hear or see an adjective immediately after get. Here are three suggestions to help you better understand and use the meanings of get: Tip #1: Guess the meaning from clues Guessing can be your best friend when trying to understand and use the meanings of get. Use context clues to help you know how get is used. Context means words that are used with or next to a specific word or expression that helps explain its meaning. Look for a direct object or a location adverb or an adjective before or after the verb get. These will help you to know its intended meaning. Tip #2: Practice, practice, practice Read and listen to as much as you can in English. The more you do this, the more easily you will be able to use clues as a tool to quickly understand meaning. Americans, the British, and other native English speakers can recognize these clues very quickly. You can learn to do this, too! Try to immerse yourself in English by listening to Learning English podcasts, watching movies and YouTube videos, and listening to music. Tip #3: Use other verbs If you are not sure how to use some of the meanings of get, you can instead use verbs with similar meanings. Sometimes the other verbs sound natural, and other times they sound formal. For example, you can say, “I just bought a new sofa!” and it sounds perfectly natural. By comparison, saying, “I arrived home at 10 pm” sounds very official. Yet, both are correct and can be used.    Orin Hargraves is a lexicographer. He writes and studies dictionaries. Hargraves recently told Everyday Grammar that, “Many of the jobs that we currently give to get…can also be expressed by other verbs.” Hargraves’ advice is good advice. The Everyday Grammar team hopes you enjoyed learning a few of the many meanings of the verb get. So, get going and enjoy this wonderful verb. We've got to go now. But keep listening in the coming weeks for more words with many meanings. I’m Phil Dierking. I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this story for Everyday Grammar. George Grow was the editor. Have you noticed how often get is used in popular movies and music? Try to find an example and then write to us in the comments section. We want to hear from you. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   verb - n. a word that is usually one of the main parts of a sentence and that expresses an action, an occurrence, or a state of being   phrasal verb - n. a group of words that functions as a verb and is made up of a verb and a preposition, an adverb, or both  obtain - v. to gain or get, usually by effort acquire - v. to come to own something fetch - v. to go after and bring back someone or something clue - n. something that helps a person find something, understand something, or solve a mystery or puzzle intend - v. to have something in your mind as a purpose or goal guess - v. to form an opinion or give an answer about something when you do not know much or anything about it sofa - n. a long and comfortable piece of furniture on which a person can sit or lie down immerse - v. to put (something) in a liquid so that all parts are completely covered

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August 3, 2017

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Lesson 41: Teamwork Works Best With a Team

Summary Anna meets with her boss, Ms. Weaver, for her yearly review. Ms. Weaver wants Anna to have higher numbers for the audience of her show. How will Anna make her audience numbers go up? Speaking In this video, learn how to say the new words. Then learn about sentences that include the words "if" and "will." These are called present real conditional sentences. Pronunciation When we want our listener to notice one or two words in a sentence, we can say them louder, or put more emphasis on them. Learn how to do that in this video. Conversation Anna: Hi. I am walking to work. Today my boss will tell me what she thinks of my work. Is it good? Or is it bad? Okay, time for work. I am going right now. Okay, okay, I’m going! Ms. Weaver: Anna, hello. Anna: Hello. Ms. Weaver: Sit down. As you know, at the start of a new year we have a work review. Anna: Yes. It’s time for mine. Ms. Weaver: Yes. Anna, this chart shows the audience of The Time Traveling Treehouse. If you look at it, you will see something bad. Your audience is going down, down, DOWN! Anna: Ms. Weaver, I think the chart is upside down. Anna: Here, let’s flip that around. Now, it’s right-side up. Ms. Weaver: Oh. If you look at this chart, you will see something good. Your audience is big. Anna: Good! Ms. Weaver: But not big enough. Anna: Not good. Ms. Weaver: I want to see these numbers go up, and up, and UP! Anna: How? Ms. Weaver: I have something -- idea posters! Anna: (whispers) Idea posters. Ms. Weaver: You really ought to think seriously about them. I like this one. Please read it. Anna: “If at first you SUCCEED; you will be a success.” Well, it's a cute cat. Ms. Weaver: Here’s another one. I like it. Anna: “WORKING HARD looks hard because it really is hard.” I see. It's another cute cat. Ms. Weaver: This is my favorite. Anna: “TEAMWORK works best with a team.” A team of cats. Look at all those cats! Ms. Weaver: So, Anna, do you understand what I want? Anna: Yes, Ms. Weaver. I understand. Anna: Okay, team. There is a problem in the Treehouse. Amelia: Problem? What's the problem? Anna: Our audience is big. Bryan: But that's a good thing. Anna:  No, it is not big enough. Anna: Please don’t worry. I know what Ms. Weaver wants. Here’s the plan. (whispers) Bryan: Is that what she wants? Amelia: Are you sure? Anna: Yes. Let’s get to work! Anna: Good job, team. This is exactly what Ms. Weaver wants! Anna: Welcome to The Time Traveling Treehouse! Today you will learn about a very popular pet … cats! MINDY: Anna. Did I give you enough cats? Anna: I don’t know, MINDY. I think we need more cats!   Writing In this lesson, what do you think Ms. Weaver wants? Do you ever have trouble understanding the advice that others give you? Write to us by email or in the Comments section. Click on the image below to download the Activity Sheet, and practice making sentences with "if." Learning Strategy Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective. The learning strategy for this lesson is Use Selective Attention.  When you are listening in English, sometimes we can't understand every word. At those times, you can listen for the important words and try your best to understand. In this lesson, Anna tries to understand Ms. Weaver. Ms. Weaver wants Anna to get a bigger audience. But Anna pays attention to the cats in the posters that Ms. Weaver shows her. She thinks Ms. Weaver wants to see more cats in The Time Traveling Treehouse. When you use selective attention, you may not always understand perfectly. But you can always ask a question to check on your understanding. Anna did not ask to make sure of what Ms.Weaver wanted. In real life, you should check your understanding when you use selective attention. Do you ever use selective attention? Do you think Anna made a mistake when she used selective attention in this lesson? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy. Quiz Listen to short videos and test your listening skills with this quiz. ______________________________________________________________ New Words audience - n. the people who watch, read, or listen to something cat - n. a small animal that is related to lions and tigers and that is often kept by people as a pet chart- n. information in the form of a table or a diagram cute - adj. having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance exactly - adv. used to stress that something is accurate, complete, or correct flip - v. to cause (something) to turn or turn over quickly meow - v. to make a crying sound as cats do pet - n. an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure poster - n. a usually large picture that is put on walls as a decoration review - n. an act of carefully looking at or examining the quality or condition of something or someone right-side up - noun phrase. with the top or correct side facing up succeed - v. to do what you are trying to do or to achieve the correct or desired result success - n. a person or thing that succeeds teamwork - n. the work done by people who work together as a team to do something upside down- adv. in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position   Free Materials   Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website. Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice making conditional sentences. For Teachers ​ See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions. Grammar: Future Real Conditional (If clauses) Topics: Asking for & giving feedback about job performance; Identifying ways to improve performance at work or school; Interpreting advice Learning Strategy: Use Selective Attention Speaking & Pronunciation: Pronouncing contrastive stress   ____________________________________________________________ Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.

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News Words: Personality

The word personality contains the word, "person." Does the meaning of personality involve persons? Find out with Anne Ball and Jonathan Evans in this week's News Words.

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America's Presidents - Benjamin Harrison

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US Company Is Putting Microchips in Its Employees

Technology offers conveniences such as opening the garage door from your car or changing the television station without touching the TV. Now one American company is offering its employees a new convenience: a microchip implanted in their hands. Employees who have these chips can do all kinds of things just by waving their hands. Three Square Market is offering to implant microchips in all of their employees for free. Each chip costs $300 and Three Square Market will pay for the chip. Employees can volunteer to have the chips implanted in their hands. About 50 out of 80 employees have chosen to do so. The president of the company, his wife and their children are also getting chips implanted in their hands. The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. Implanting the chip only takes about a second and is said to hurt only very briefly. The chips go under the skin between the thumb and forefinger. ​ With a chip in the hand, a person can enter the office building, buy food, sign into computers and more, simply by waving that hand near a scanner. The chips also will be used to identify employees. Employees who want convenience, but do not want to have a microchip implanted under their skin, can wear a wristband or a ring with a chip instead. They can perform the same tasks with a wave of their hands as if they had an implanted chip. Three Square Market is the first company in the United States to offer to implant chips in its employees. Epicenter, a company in Sweden, has been implanting chips in its employees for a while.  Three Square Marketing says the chip cannot track the employee. The company says scanners can read the chips only when they are within a few inches of them. Three Square Market says that the chips protect against identity theft by being encrypted, similar to credit cards. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the chips back in 2004, so they should be safe for humans, according to the company. In the future, people with the chips may be able to do more with them, even outside the office. Todd Westby is Chief Executive Officer of Three Square Market. He says, "Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc.” Poll Would you volunteer to have a chip implanted in your hand by your employer? Vote in the poll and let us know what you think:   ​ I’m Caty Weaver.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Do you think having a chip implanted in your hand would be convenient? Would you volunteer to have the chip implanted in your hand? Would you work for a company that required you to have a chip implanted in your hand? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   convenience - n. a quality or situation that makes something easy or useful for someone by reducing the amount of work or time required to do something garage - n. a building or part of a building in which a car, truck, etc., is kept microchip - n. a group of tiny electronic circuits that work together on a very small piece of hard material (such as silicon) implant - v. to place something in a person's body by means of surgery volunteer - v. someone who does something without being forced to do it scanner - n. a device that reads or copies information or images into a computer identify - v. to find out who someone is or what something is wristband - n. a band of plastic, paper, cloth, etc., that you wear around your wrist track - v. to follow or watch the path of (something) identity theft - n. the illegal use of someone else's personal identifying information in order to get money or credit encrypt - v. to change (information) from one form to another especially to hide its meaning standardize - v. to change (things) so that they are similar and consistent and agree with rules about what is proper and acceptable

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China Moves to Ban Use of Uyghur Language in Schools

  Officials in northwest China’s Xinjiang region have moved to ban the use of the Uyghur language at all education levels, Radio Free Asia reports. The new ban marks one of China’s strongest measures aimed at assimilating ethnic Uyghurs, RFA says. Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic group in China and Central Asia. Most live in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. Rights groups have said China represses Uyghur culture and religion. The Education Department in Xinjiang’s Hotan area issued a directive in June banning the use of Uyghur at schools in favor of Mandarin Chinese. The directive said schools must “insist on fully popularizing the national common language and writing system according to law.” Beginning this fall semester, Mandarin Chinese will be fully used in preschools, elementary schools and middle schools, the directive says. It also instructs schools to “prohibit the use of Uyghur language, writing, signs and pictures in the educational system and on campuses.” Any school or person that fails to enforce the new policy will be “severely punished,” the directive says. ‘Encouraging’ Mandarin Four officials confirmed the directive to RFA. They spoke on the condition of anonymity. They said their local governments were preparing to put the directive in place ahead of the fall semester. A Chinese education official in Hotan said the directive was issued on June 28. All area education offices received it two days later. A Uyghur official from another Hotan office said, “all teaching will be conducted in the Chinese, not Uyghur language, in the upcoming semester.” “Even the Uyghur textbooks will be replaced with Chinese textbooks from inland China. All teachers and students are required to speak the Chinese language only in the school and education system,” he added. A different Chinese official from Hotan told RFA that the directive is meant to “encourage” the learning of the national language. He said, "Education authorities decided to ban the use of the Uyghur language in order to create a favorable environment for minorities to study the national language." Illegal policy? For many years [since 2005], China has had a “bilingual” education system in Xinjiang’s schools. Uyghur students can choose to learn among other Uyghur students. Those students receive literature instruction in the Uyghur language. All other subjects are taught in Mandarin Chinese. The new directive would end the Uyghur-language instruction, however. Observers say the bilingual education system violate China’s constitution and ethnic autonomy laws, RFA reports. China’s constitution says “the people of all nationalities have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.” And China’s Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law on Language says that schools in ethnic areas “use textbooks in their own languages and use these languages as the media of instruction.” Ilshat Hassan is president of the Uyghur American Association in Washington, D.C. He told RFA that China is trying to ignore its own laws by calling the new directive a part of a bilingual education. He said, “In fact, by enforcing this new policy at the preschool level, the Chinese government intends to kill the Uyghur language at the cradle." He added that “the international community must not allow China to destroy our beautiful language and culture, which has thrived for several millennia.”   This story was originally reported by Radio Free Asia and adapted for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   region - n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way assimilate - v. to cause (a person or group) to become part of a different society, country, etc. repress - v. to not allow yourself to do or express (something) prohibit - v. ​ to order (someone) not to use or do something — + from campus - n.​ the area and buildings around a university, college, school, etc.​ anonymity - n.​ the quality or state of being unknown to most people​ semester - n.​ one of two usually 18-week periods that make up an academic year at a school or college​ bilingual - adj. using or expressed in two languages autonomy - n.​ the power or right of a country, group, etc., to govern itself cradle - n.​ the place where something begins​ thrive - v. ​ to grow or develop successfully  millennia - n. plural form of millennium -- a period equal to 1000 years  

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Trump Supports Bill to Cut Legal Immigration

President Donald Trump gave his support Wednesday to a bill that would cut legal immigration to the United States by half. The bill would reduce legal immigration to the U.S. from the current level of 1 million a year to 500,000 by the end of the 10th year. It would also give a priority to immigrants based on their education, job offers, English-language skills, and success in creating businesses. The bill is similar to proposals Trump made as a candidate for president. During the 2016 campaign, Trump often said immigration was costing Americans jobs and keeping pay down for those with jobs. Republican Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia appeared with Trump at the White House to introduce the bill. Trump said the bill he is supporting would help Americans better compete for jobs. “Among those hit the hardest in recent years have been immigrants and, very importantly, minority workers competing for jobs against brand-new arrivals. And it has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers.” The bill would keep the current immigration preferences for spouses and young children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. But it would do away with preferences for other relatives such as grandparents or adult children. The bill would also end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, known as “diversity lottery.” The program was created to increase immigrants from countries underrepresented in the United States. Cotton said it has been poorly managed. The bill would also limit the number of permanent refugees admitted to the U.S. to 50,000 a year. Cotton said that is in line with the 13-year average. Passage of the immigration bill is far from a sure thing. The bill would require passage in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the Senate, the bill would need 60 out of 100 votes. That will be difficult given opposition from groups that see immigration as positive for America and for businesses that depend on immigrant workers. Senator Lindsey Graham is a Republican from South Carolina. He tweeted that the proposed immigration bill would be bad for his state. “If proposal were to become law... devastating to SC (South Carolina) economy which relies on this immigrant workforce.” Groups that favor immigration quickly criticized the bill. John Feinblatt is president of a group called New American Economy. It represents 500 mayors and business leaders who support legal immigration. He said cutting immigration in half would “result in fewer jobs for Americans.” But Senator Cotton said change is needed in a system that now brings one million immigrants to the U.S. each year. “That's like adding the population of Montana every single year; adding the population of Arkansas every three years.”  I’m Jill Robbins.    Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English with additional sources from Reuters, the Associated Press, and VOA News. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   priority - n. something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first brand-new- adj. just came or just arrived preference - n. a feeling of liking or wanting one person or thing more than another person or thing diversity lottery - n. a drawing to select people with a goal of adding diversity or people from different countries refugee - n. someone who has been forced to leave a country because of war or for religious or political reasons devastating - adj. causing big damage

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Messi Says Goodbye to Neymar on Instagram

  This is What’s Trending Today. The biggest soccer story of the summer was not Germany’s win at the Confederations Cup in Russia. And it was not the United States’ Gold Cup win over Jamaica either. Instead, it was the constant discussion about whether Brazilian star Neymar would leave his current team, Barcelona, and move to Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona recently played in the United States, and it was all people wanted to know about. But that discussion has come to an end. Barcelona announced on Wednesday that Neymar said goodbye to his teammates and told the team he was leaving. The only delay? Paris Saint-Germain will need to pay Barcelona over 200 million euros to purchase Neymar’s contract. Until then, Neymar is still a member of Barcelona. However, he will not practice with the team. In July, many sports publications wrote about the possibility of Neymar leaving Barcelona. They said he did not like being the team’s second-best player behind Argentine star Lionel Messi. But just last week, Spanish player Gerard Pique of Barcelona posted a photo of Neymar on Instagram. Under the photo, he wrote, “he stays.” Pique said he did not have any special information about his teammate, however. It was just his own feeling about the situation. The question about whether Neymar would stay or go grew more intense in the last week, as Barcelona finished its tour of the U.S. and returned to Europe. Neymar did not travel with the team. Instead, he went to Asia to make appearances for his sponsors. He returned to Spain on Tuesday night, and told the team of his decision on Wednesday. Now, the soccer world must wait for Barcelona’s bank account to grow by over 200 million euros. When that happens, Neymar will be on his way to Paris. On Wednesday, Messi used Instagram to post a goodbye video message to Neymar. The two have been Barcelona teammates since 2013. More than 5 million people watched the video in the first three hours. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Dan Friedell.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by ESPN. Ashley Thompson was the editor. How do you think Neymar will do with his new team? How will Barcelona do without him? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it   sponsor – n. an organization that gives money to an athlete for training, clothes, equipment, etc., in return for the right to use the athlete for advertising  

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Hijab Gets More Acceptance from Business

  The hijab is one of the most recognized symbols of Islamic culture. The hijab is a head covering for women to wear in public. Advertisers, technology companies and fashion designers are gaining interest in the hijab. It is becoming more popular among athletes as well. Recently, Apple announced 12-new emoji characters it plans to make available later this year. One of the characters is of a young woman wearing a hijab. ​ Reuters reports that major fashion and sporting equipment companies are creating hijabs. Nike said it plans a spring 2018 release of a breathable hijab that women can use while exercising or playing sports. And hijabs are becoming more common in Western advertising by companies such as H&M and Gap. Muslims are a big market for business. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimated a Muslim population of 1.6 billion people. But the hijab’s growing acceptance has limited meaning. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a civil rights group for Muslims. It says Muslim-Americans still face discrimination. Women wearing hijabs can be at particular risk for abuse and other mistreatment because the head covering identifies them as Muslim. But the increasing acceptance of the hijab might help change behavior. Amani al-Khatahbeh is the founder of the online publication MuslimGirl.com. She told Reuters that popular brands of clothing are in a good position to produce social good. She said popular brands can help increase understanding of Islam and improve its public image. But al-Khatahbeh said including Muslims in advertising and product development should not be all about profits. She said businesses have a responsibility to support more acceptance of Muslims. “It can easily become exploitative by profiting off the communities that are being targeted right now,” she told Reuters. Other signs of more acceptance include a Vogue Arabia magazine cover. In June, for the first time, the magazine’s cover was a photograph of a model in a hijab. Somali-American Halima Aden received international attention last year when she wore a hijab and burkini during an American beauty competition. A burkini is swim clothing that covers the entire body, except for the face and hands. Aden posted a video on her Instagram account. In the video, she said, “Every little girl deserves to see a role model that’s dressed like her, resembles her, or even has the same characteristics as her.”    Bruce Alpert adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by Reuters and other sources. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   symbol - n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality advertiser - n. a company or person who makes the public aware of something, such as a product, that is being sold, usually for a fee fashion designer - n. a person who creates clothes in new styles emoji - n. a small image used to express an idea or emo a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, mostly in electronic communicate exploitative - adj. to use someone or something in a way that helps you unfairly deserve - v. used to say that someone or something should or should not have or be given something resemble - v. looks like somebody or something else

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Turkey’s Top Military Group Replaces Military Leaders

  Turkey’s top military group has decided to replace the leaders of the army, air force, and navy. Local media reported the decision to change heads of the military branches after their terms expired. The moves are the most recent changes to the armed forces after the failed attempt by the military to oust Turkey’s government in July 2016. Other top members of the military will replace the heads of the three branches. Broadcaster NTV reported on the changes following a meeting of the Supreme Military Council. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is the chair of the council. Military officials were not available for comment. However, the changes are expected to be presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for approval. According to NTV reports, Yasar Guler, the commander of the gendarmerie forces, will replace Salih Zeki Colak, the commander of the Turkish Land Forces. Adnan Ozbal, a vice-admiral, will replace Naval commander Bulent Bostanoglu Hasan Kucukakyuz, commander of the Turkish Warfare Air Force, will replace Air Force commander Abidin Unal. Wednesday's meeting was the third time Turkey's top military council gathered since the failed coup attempt last year. Last year, the council cut the length of some officers' service. It also put 586 colonels into retirement and extended the service of another 434 colonels by two years. I'm John Russell.   Reuters reported on this story. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story replace – v.  to put someone or something new in the place or position of (someone or something) broadcaster – n. an organization that sends out radio or television programs gendarmerie – n. a group of gendarmes – general law enforcement officers, (also : a police officer in a country where French is spoken) colonel – n.  an officer of high rank in the army, air force, or marines : a military officer who ranks above a major coup – n. a sudden attempt by a small group of people to take over the government usually through violence

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