Arrive get and reach for places

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you can use "arrive", "get" and "reach" to talk about reaching places naturally.

Arrive: formal and precise

"Arrive" means to reach a destination. It is slightly more formal and is usually followed by "at" or "in":

• "We arrived at the station at six."
• "She arrived in Paris yesterday."
• "The train arrived on time."
• "He arrived home late."

Use "arrive at" for specific places: station, airport, hotel, office. Use "arrive in" for cities, countries, and large areas. "Arrive home" is a common exception with no preposition. "Arrive" is often used in announcements, travel contexts, and formal writing: "The flight arrived early." "Guests are arriving now."

Get: everyday and flexible

"Get" is the most common verb for reaching a place in everyday speech. It is flexible and often used with "to":

• "How do I get to the museum?"
• "We got to the hotel at midnight."
• "She got home early."
• "I got there by bus."

"Get" can also mean to arrive without "to" in informal contexts: "What time did you get in?" "We got back late." "Get" is less formal than "arrive" and is very common in spoken English. It also appears in phrasal verbs: "get back", "get in", "get off", "get on".

Reach: direct object, no preposition

"Reach" means to arrive at a place and takes a direct object without a preposition:

• "We reached the top of the hill."
• "She reached the office before nine."
• "The letter reached me yesterday."
• "They reached their destination safely."

"Reach" is slightly more formal than "get" and often emphasises effort or distance. It is common in travel, mountaineering, and achievement contexts: "They reached the summit." "The message reached millions." Unlike "arrive", you do not say "reach to" or "reach at"; the place follows directly.

Choosing in context

• Formal announcement: "The train arrives at platform four."
• Everyday speech: "What time did you get there?"
• Effort or distance: "We finally reached the village after a long walk."
• City: "She arrived in Rome." or "She got to Rome."
• Specific place: "He arrived at the office." or "He got to the office." or "He reached the office."

In questions about directions, "get" is natural: "How do I get to the airport?" In travel writing, "arrive" and "reach" are more common. All three are correct; the choice depends on formality and emphasis.

Common mistakes

• "I arrived to the station." Use "arrived at the station."
• "She reached to the top." Use "reached the top."
• "We got at the hotel." Use "got to the hotel" or "arrived at the hotel."
• "He arrived in the office." Use "arrived at the office."
• "I reached home." Acceptable, but "got home" or "arrived home" is more common.

Practice

Choose "arrive", "get" or "reach" for each sentence. Use the correct preposition if needed.

1. We ___ at the airport at seven.

2. How do I ___ to the museum?

3. She ___ the top of the mountain.

4. They ___ in Tokyo yesterday.

5. I ___ home late last night.

6. The bus ___ the village after two hours.

7. He ___ at the office before nine.

8. We ___ back from holiday on Sunday.

Answers: 1. arrived; 2. get; 3. reached; 4. arrived; 5. got; 6. reached; 7. arrived / got; 8. got.

A speaking task

Give directions to a place you know well. Use "arrive", "get" and "reach" in at least five sentences. For example: "To get to the library, walk straight. You will reach the park after five minutes. The library is opposite the park; you will arrive at the entrance on your left." This keeps the verbs tied to real movement.