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Why "Get Around to Review It" Is Wrong

Foundational Guides · 2 min read · 2026-08-22 · Updated 2026-08-26

"Get around to review it" is a common error with this expression. It is easy to make because to looks like an infinitive marker.

Here, however, to is a preposition. It does not introduce a verb as in "want to review" or "need to review." After this preposition, use a gerund or noun phrase. Write "get around to reviewing it," not "get around to review it."

Quick grammar check

Choose the correct form after get around to.

Wrong and right, side by side

Wrong: "I still haven't gotten around to review the report." Right: "I still haven't gotten around to reviewing the report."

Wrong: "She finally got around to update the deck." Right: "She finally got around to updating the deck."

Why this mistake is so easy to make

Many English verb patterns use to before a base verb. Examples include "want to go," "need to finish," and "plan to review." Get around to looks similar, but to is a preposition here. When a verb follows it, that verb takes the -ing form. Compare "interested in reviewing" and "responsible for reviewing."

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A simple test to check your own sentence

Try replacing the words after to with a noun. "I got around to the report" is grammatically possible. Therefore, to is acting as a preposition in this pattern. A following verb must become a gerund: "I got around to reviewing the report."

The rule

After get around to, use a noun phrase or gerund. Do not use a base verb. The rule stays the same across tenses. You can say "haven't gotten around to reviewing," "finally got around to reviewing," or "will get around to reviewing."

Practice scenarios

Practice using get around to correctly in situations like:

  • reporting a delayed task using the gerund form, not a bare infinitive
  • catching this specific error in a colleague's draft
  • producing the present-perfect negative form under time pressure

Useful practice phrases:

  • "I haven't gotten around to reviewing the report."
  • "She finally got around to updating the deck."
  • "I'll get around to reading it this weekend."

Fix the sentence

Here, to is a preposition, not an infinitive marker. Use a gerund when a verb follows it.

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