get out of — avoid / escape (Murphy Unit 138, Phrasal verbs in/out)
Pattern
Section titled “Pattern”get out of + [obligation / -ing] = avoid or escape a commitment.
- I can’t get out of going to the party. (can’t avoid it)
- I can’t get out of the meeting. (can’t avoid the meeting)
- She got out of doing the dishes. (escaped the chore)
- He tried to get out of paying. (tried to avoid paying)
Structure
Section titled “Structure”get out of is a three-part phrasal verb (verb + particle + preposition), fixed as a unit:
- get out of + noun — get out of the meeting
- get out of + -ing — get out of going
Similar phrasals (don’t confuse)
Section titled “Similar phrasals (don’t confuse)”| Phrasal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| get out of | avoid / escape an obligation | I can’t get out of going. |
| drop out | quit (course/race) | He dropped out of university. |
| fill in | complete a form / substitute | Fill in the form. |
| take in | deceive / absorb / host | I was taken in by his story. |
| leave out | exclude | I was left out of the team. |
| eat out | dine at a restaurant | We ate out last night. |
Test application
Section titled “Test application”I can’t avoid going to the party. → I can’t ___ of going to the party.
Answer: get out — “get out of + -ing” = avoid. I can’t get out of going.
Why not the others?
- fill in — complete a form, not avoid
- drop in — visit briefly, not avoid
- left out — excluded, wrong tense/form
- taken in — deceived, wrong form
- eat out — dine out, not avoid
- drop out — quit a course, not avoid a party
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (4th ed.), Unit 138 — Phrasal verbs in/out. Ebot lesson 2026-08-29: “I can’t ___ of going to the party” → get out (get out of + -ing = avoid).