student asking question

Can I replace "buy" with "get"? Does the meaning get changed if I do so?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

While the sentence would be gramatically correct if you changed "buy" to "get" it would miss the nuance needed in this clip. The point here is that they are desperate and willing to pay for the "tote bag". The word "buy" implies the exchange of currency for something, while the word "get" implies that there is no exchange and you receive something for free, at least in this context. Ex: Can I get you a cup coffee? Ex: Can I buy you a coffee? Ex: I will go and get some shoes. Ex: I will go and buy some shoes.

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