Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Lesson 488.The title of the lesson today is the
difference between acquire and obtain. Now these are both very very common verbs
All right. If somebody wants a screenshot, do right now. Let's get right to it.
Now both acquire and obtain both mean to get something. They both tend to be a little bit more
formal than just get by itself. There is a little bit of a crossover, especially on purchasing some
things , but there's clearly differences of how we would use them. Like in this sort of situation,
we're more likely to use a acquire and another situation we might be more likely to use
obtain. All right. So let's let's look at the first one. To get something by buying it or
be given it. So however mostly used for things of high or significant amount of value. So you know,
somebody doesn't say like I acquired a Coca-Cola for example. You know. It's too cheap. You usually
it's something of significant value probably at least like thousands of dollars or something.
We're more likely to use it with something like this. I probably wouldn't say I acquired this
pen. It just sounds too formal sounds a little strange. It sounds out of place,
but could you say you obtained the pen maybe. Probably get would probably be the best here.
Let's continue. She acquired that property because it was left to her in a will. All right. So now
this is being given it. But again property is of high value. So you often might use acquire
with this one. He acquired that famous work of art through an auction. Well he did buy it of course
the famous work of art so we can expect that this would be a very highly valued one. Disney
acquired Marvel through a buyout. Yeah. Definitely this is one company buying another whole company.
So you definitely use acquire is more common in this sentence. Okay. Good. Let's look at number
two. All right. To get an illness disease or infection. That hemophiliac acquired AIDS
through a blood transfusion and this was in the early days of AIDS. This probably wouldn't happen
now because they changed the needles all the time. But in the early days of AIDS some unfortunate
some poor hemophiliacs you know, they hope they often had to get you know, extra blood because
you know, if they got a little cut they they bled more than an average person. So again, we would
say that somebody could acquire disease. This is one we definitely wouldn't say obtain. I obtained
a disease. No you definitely wouldn't use obtain with the disease. You would only use acquire.
You could still use get though. Somebody could get a disease that's still possible. All right. Let's
continue. number three. To gradually learn or develop something over time. Okay. Good. Sure so
he used to dislike kimchi, but he eventually acquired a taste for it. All right. That's
another one. We often say you acquire a taste for something. So you acquire a taste that is
definitely acquire. And it took you a while. You probably didn't like kimchi the first time you
tried it but over time, you got to like it. So you acquired a taste for it. Okay. Good.
He used to ... All right. Now. that government is offering discounts on bus and train tickets
in hopes that people will acquire the habit. So if you acquire a habit , we also use we'll
acquire for this one. Acquire the habit of using public transportation instead of using cars
or scooters. So again you're hoping that they pick up this habit. All right. So you,
you develop a habit or you develop a taste for something. Something like that.
Okay good. Number four here. To get a reputation or a name. Okay. Good . He acquired a reputation
for being a flip-flopper. All right. This is a bad reputation of course. A flip-flopper that means
somebody that changes their mind all the time. So you really can't trust what they're saying because
they may say this today and tomorrow they'll do something else. So that's a flip-flopper.
He obtained a reputation. Now that would be weird. We would probably only use acquire in this sense.
All right. Good number five. To get knowledge or a skill. Okay. He is trying to acquire
experience in that field by being an intern or you know, over time you could acquire a lot of
knowledge about a certain subject or you could acquire a lot of experience over years. You know,
working anywhere in a particular place. So we often use acquire. It's more likely
than obtained in this sort of situation. All right. Let's continue. Now we've got four uses
for obtain that so you're a little more likely here to use obtain than acquire.
To get something that is wanted or needed by going through a process.
Okay you have to pass a written test to obtain a learner's permit. You know, like when you're
trying to get a driver's license. You got to do that first so acquire would sound a little
awkward here. You're going through the process. So this is better it's it's to obtain and then,
get a driver's license and then get a and then pass a driving test to obtain a driver's license.
Yeah. So again you ... you're going through this process. So you go through a process.
Obtain is more common. All right. Number two. To get or gain possessions. yes. I obtained it in
a trade. Maybe you got something by trading it. That's how you got it. You obtained it that way.
They are making it difficult to obtain information about it. So to gain this information or
again get this information. Okay. Good. To achieve something or win something. Okay. Yes.
Okay it took years but she finally obtained a victory. Yeah. Acquired a victory would be weird.
But again if you eventually win it or you get it then we you could say , you ... you obtained it.
You finally got it. Okay. Number four down here. This is kind of an old, a more formal use. So
we don't .. I don't hear this as much in American English , but it or it's a little
bit of an older more formal use. But basically, we use obtain sometimes to mean to be in effect
or to be recognized. So these rules are no longer. Well this should really be obtained here. They are
out of date and have become obsolete. Okay. So they're, they're no longer recognized.
They are no longer in effect. That's the way we would say it. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it.
I hope that all of these hints kind of give you a better idea of when you're more likely to use
one than the other. Okay. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.