Win, Earn, Gain, Obtain, Acquire or Get? 

Hello and welcome to Fransy Fancy English! You can just say "get", right? Well, in everyday English you should use "get" instead of "obtain" or "acquire". 

WIN

When there is competition or opposition, the verb "win" is used. We win lotteries, prizes, games, matches, competitions and medals.

"I feel confident that our team will will the game."

"Can Ukraine win the war?"

"Bring your own deck of cards if you want to win at poker every time."

"Politicians who want to win an election connect with their voters by telling their story."

"He won the race by three seconds."

"Be feminine if you want to win a man's heart."

"They played badly. They don't deserve to win."

"Who won the tournament?"

EARN (formal)

When you receive money as a reward for your labor, you "earn" it. People earn a salary, wage, bonus, or living. 

"Orthodontists earn $231,190 a year."

"I don't earn much money. I am struggling to pay the rent."

"Take on leadership responsibility if you want to earn a higher salary."

"It is hard to earn a living as an artist."

"I’m not rolling in it, but I earn a decent salary."

"She earns £300 a day."

Money isn't the only thing you can earn. You might possess some good qualities that made you deserve something. You can earn a good reputation, for example.

"The automobile company has earned a reputation for producing durable and reliable vehicles." 

"After a promotion, she's struggling to earn the respect of her former peers."

" As a teacher, she had earned the respect and admiration of her students."

"I need a drink. I've earned it."

GAIN

The verb "gain" doesn't suggest a lot of effort. When you gain something, you gradually get more of the same thing over time. It can be through luck or work. It indicates growth or increase. We gain weight, speed, experience, knowledge or momentum.

"Freelancing is a great way to gain experience for a job that requires it." 

"Stop taking advice from people who have accomplished less than you if you want to gain momentum in business and life."

"Curiosity and research can help you gain more knowledge every day."

"The first step in gaining confidence is to start accepting compliments."

"Has your son gained weight and height? He is almost unrecognizable." 

"He lifts weights and eats more protein to gain muscle."

"The key to gaining speed while surfing is understanding that the power of the wave will be your engine." 

 

You can use "gain" to simply state that you got something that you need or want.

"The United States gained control of California during the Mexican War."

"Cyber attackers use black hat SEO to gain access to information."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is a saying that we use when people need to take risks if they want to achieve something. It's similar to "no pain, no gain" and "fortune favors the brave/bold".

"I'll ask my boss for a pay rise. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

OBTAIN (formal)

"Obtain" is a less formal way of saying "get" and it implies effort. It's used to talk about everyday objects and documents. It requires some effort. We obtain information, data, results and permission.

"I finally obtained that hard-to-find book." (A book is an everyday object.)

"He obtained the drugs with ease."

"They obtained a visa after hours of waiting at the embassy."

"Mark was trying to obtain a false passport and other documents."

"She tries to obtain American citizenship in every way possible."

"How did the 18-year-old suspect legally obtain guns before the Buffalo mass shooting?"

"Nine people got arrested for helping illegal Bangladeshi immigrants obtain identity documents."

ACQUIRE (formal)

To acquire is to buy something expensive or valuable. You can also acquire new skills and habits when you learn or develop them. When we acquire a foreign language, we try to achieve native command of this language. Language acquisition is the psychological term for the process by which we learn to use language, whether spoken, written, or sign language. To use language successfully you need to acquire some tools. That's why it's called acquisition.

"How long will it take to acquire the necessary skills?"

"Mike acquired a good knowledge of English."

"Property acquired through crime will be confiscated."

"Our company has just acquired new premises."

"I managed to acquire all the books I needed."

"I've acquired a taste for adventure."

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