: Re: Is there any stylistic reason to avoid the word "got"? I was taught around the age of 10 to always avoid the word "got". I was told that it's always possible to rephrase a sentence so as

@Debbie451

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It depends on the context. It can be casual, but it's the correct past tense of "to get."

I got sick.
I got a book for my birthday.
I got there in time.

Perfectly correct, if slightly casual. You could rewrite to "I became sick, I received a book, I arrived in time," but you'd start to come off as needlessly formal.

In response to a falling baseball:

I got it!

You could say "I have it!" or "I'll get it!" but on the field nobody cares.

I got no idea.

Slang. Comprehensible, but technically wrong; it should be "I have no idea."

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