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Here is the situation.. I need to tell my friend that if he doesn't eat the food that he got from home by noon then the following happens...

  1. If you don't eat by noon then it will be wasted.
  2. If you don't eat by noon it will get wasted..

If the second sentence is correct , please explain in detail why it is correct..

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In British English at least, in my experience, we don't use "get wasted" to talk about food or drink or tickets, or anything like that. The only thing that would get wasted in that sort of sentence is a person. A person "gets wasted" by consuming a considerable quantity of mind-altering substance(s).

"The food will get wasted" gives me very strange mental images.

On the other hand, "be wasted" would be understood, but still not idiomatic. The idiomatic phrase, in everyday British English, is go to waste.

If you don't eat it by noon, it will go to waste.

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  • What would be the correct sentence otherwise?
    – santhosha
    Commented Mar 15, 2019 at 11:41
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    Well, I would say "if you don't eat it by noon, it will go to waste" or "if you don't eat it by noon then it will go waste".
    – SamBC
    Commented Mar 15, 2019 at 11:51
  • @SamBC I would only say "go to waste". Never "go waste". I am a British English speaker. I might well say "if you don't eat it, it will be wasted". Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 10:21

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