Which of the following would be correct? Is it a question of dialect?
- "If this question gets answered, ..."
- "If this question is answered, ..."
(Inspired by this answer.)
I offered my correction to Tim because, in the question in question, the implication in "if guns get outlawed..." is that some external agency (malign in this case) would be required for change to be effected. "If guns are outlawed..." seems much more value-neutral to me. I accept that the difference is subtle, but I believe it's there -my ear and kiamaluno's graph say as much to me.
Both the phrases are understood to have the same or similar meaning; to get an answer means to obtain an answer.
Looking at which phrase between gets answered, gets an answer, and is answered is the most used in American English, I obtain the following data: