I. MOVING OR LEAVING
(goes, going, went, gone)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: In most cases the past participle of 'go' is 'gone', but occasionally you use 'been': see 'been'.
1.
When you go somewhere, you move or travel there.
We went to Rome...
Gladys had just gone into the kitchen...
I went home at the weekend...
It took us an hour to go three miles.
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V amount
2.
When you go, you leave the place where you are.
Let's go...
She's going tomorrow.
VERB: V, V
3.
You use go to say that someone leaves the place where they are and does an activity, often a leisure activity.
We went swimming very early...
Maybe they've just gone shopping...
He went for a walk.
VERB: V -ing, V -ing, V for n
4.
When you go to do something, you move to a place in order to do it and you do it. You can also go and do something, and in American English, you can go do something. However, you always say that someone went and did something.
His second son, Paddy, had gone to live in Canada...
I must go and see this film...
Go ask whoever you want.
VERB: V to-inf, V and v, V inf
5.
If you go to school, work, or church, you attend it regularly as part of your normal life.
She will have to go to school...
His son went to a top university in America.
VERB: V to n, V to n
6.
When you say where a road or path goes, you are saying where it begins or ends, or what places it is in.
There's a mountain road that goes from Blairstown to Millbrook Village.
= lead
VERB: V prep/adv
7.
You can use go in expressions such as 'don't go telling everybody', in order to express disapproval of the kind of behaviour you mention, or to tell someone not to behave in that way.
You don't have to go running upstairs every time she rings...
Don't you go thinking it was your fault.
VERB: with brd-neg, V -ing, V -ing
8.
You can use go with words like 'further' and 'beyond' to show the degree or extent of something.
He went even further in his speech to the conference...
Some physicists have gone so far as to suggest that the entire Universe is a sort of gigantic computer.
VERB: V adv/prep, V adv/prep
9.
If you say that a period of time goes quickly or slowly, you mean that it seems to pass quickly or slowly.
The weeks go so quickly!
= pass
VERB: V adv
10.
If you say where money goes, you are saying what it is spent on.
Most of my money goes on bills...
The money goes to projects chosen by the wider community.
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv
11.
If you say that something goes to someone, you mean that it is given to them.
A lot of credit must go to the chairman and his father...
The job went to Yuri Skokov, a capable administrator.
VERB: V to n, V to n
12.
If someone goes on television or radio, they take part in a television or radio programme.
The Turkish president has gone on television to defend stringent new security measures...
We went on the air, live, at 7.30.
VERB: V on n, V on n
13.
If something goes, someone gets rid of it.
The Institute of Export now fears that 100,000 jobs will go...
If people stand firm against the tax, it is only a matter of time before it has to go.
VERB: V, V
14.
If someone goes, they leave their job, usually because they are forced to.
He had made a humiliating tactical error and he had to go.
VERB: V
15.
If something goes into something else, it is put in it as one of the parts or elements that form it.
...the really interesting ingredients that go into the dishes that we all love to eat.
VERB: V into/in n
16.
If something goes in a particular place, it fits in that place or should be put there because it is the right size or shape.
He was trying to push it through the hole and it wouldn't go.
...This knob goes here.
VERB: V, V prep/adv
17.
If something goes in a particular place, it belongs there or should be put there, because that is where you normally keep it.
The shoes go on the shoe shelf...
'Where does everything go?'
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv
18.
If you say that one number goes into another number a particular number of times, you are dividing the second number by the first.
Six goes into thirty five times.
VERB: V into num
19.
If one of a person's senses, such as their sight or hearing, is going, it is getting weak and they may soon lose it completely. (INFORMAL)
His eyes are going; he says he has glaucoma...
Lately he'd been making mistakes; his nerve was beginning to go.
= fail
VERB: V, V
20.
If something such as a light bulb or a part of an engine is going, it is no longer working properly and will soon need to be replaced.
I thought it looked as though the battery was going.
VERB: V
II. LINK VERB USES
(goes, going, went, gone)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You can use go to say that a person or thing changes to another state or condition. For example, if someone goes crazy, they become crazy, and if something goes green, it changes colour and becomes green.
I'm going bald...
You'd better serve it to them before it goes cold...
50,000 companies have gone out of business.
V-LINK: V adj, V adj, V prep
2.
You can use go when indicating whether or not someone wears or has something. For example, if someone goes barefoot, they do not wear any shoes.
The baby went naked on the beach...
But if you arm the police won't more criminals go armed?
V-LINK: V adj, V adj
3.
You can use go before adjectives beginning with 'un-' to say that something does not happen. For example, if something goes unheard, nobody hears it.
As President, he affirmed that no tyranny went unnoticed.
V-LINK: V -ed
III. OTHER VERB USES, NOUN USES, AND PHRASES
(goes, going, went, gone)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You use go to talk about the way something happens. For example, if an event or situation goes well, it is successful.
She says everything is going smoothly...
How did it go at the hairdresser's?
VERB: V adv, V adv
2.
If a machine or device is going, it is working.
What about my copier. Can you get it going again?...
I said, 'My car won't go in fog'.
VERB: V, V
3.
If a bell goes, it makes a noise, usually as a signal for you to do something.
The bell went for the break.
VERB: V
4.
If something goes with something else, or if two things go together, they look or taste nice together.
I was searching for a pair of grey gloves to go with my new gown...
I can see that some colours go together and some don't...
Wear something else. This won't go.
V-RECIP: V with n, pl-n V together, V (non-recip)
5.
You use go to introduce something you are quoting. For example, you say the story goes or the argument goes just before you quote all or part of it.
The story goes that she went home with him that night...
The story goes like this...
As the saying goes, 'There's no smoke without fire.'
VERB: V that, V prep, V with quote
6.
You use go when indicating that something makes or produces a sound. For example, if you say that something goes 'bang', you mean it produces the sound 'bang'.
She stopped in front of a painting of a dog and she started going 'woof woof'...
The button on his jeans went POP.
VERB: V with sound, V with sound
7.
You can use go instead of 'say' when you are quoting what someone has said or what you think they will say. (INFORMAL)
They say 'Tom, shut up' and I go 'No, you shut up'...
He goes to me: 'Oh, what do you want?'
VERB: V with quote, V to n with quote
8.
A go is an attempt at doing something.
I always wanted to have a go at football...
She won on her first go...
Her hair was bright orange. It took us two goes to get the colour right.
N-COUNT: oft N at n/-ing
9.
If it is your go in a game, it is your turn to do something, for example to play a card or move a piece.
I'm two behind you but it's your go...
Now whose go is it?
= turn
N-COUNT: poss N
10.
11.
If you go all out to do something or go all out for something, you make the greatest possible effort to do it or get it. (INFORMAL)
They will go all out to get exactly what they want...
They're ready to go all out for the Premier League title next season.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR to-inf, PHR for n
12.
You use expressions like as things go or as children go when you are describing one person or thing and comparing them with others of the same kind. (INFORMAL)
This is a straightforward case, as these things go...
He's good company, as small boys go.
PHRASE: PHR with cl
13.
If you do something as you go along, you do it while you are doing another thing, without preparing it beforehand.
Learning how to become a parent takes time. It's a skill you learn as you go along.
PHRASE: PHR after v
14.
If you say that someone has gone and done something, you are expressing your annoyance at the foolish thing they have done. (INFORMAL)
Well, he's gone and done it again, hasn't he?...
Somebody goes and does something mindless like that and just destroys everything for you.
PHRASE: Vs inflect [disapproval]
15.
You say 'Go for it' to encourage someone to increase their efforts to achieve or win something. (INFORMAL)
CONVENTION
16.
If someone has a go at you, they criticize you, often in a way that you feel is unfair. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
Some people had a go at us for it, which made us more angry.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
17.
If someone says 'Where do we go from here?' they are asking what should be done next, usually because a problem has not been solved in a satisfactory way.
CONVENTION
18.
If you say that someone is making a go of something such as a business or relationship, you mean that they are having some success with it.
I knew we could make a go of it and be happy.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
19.
If you say that someone is always on the go, you mean that they are always busy and active. (INFORMAL)
I got a new job this year where I am on the go all the time.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, PHR after v
20.
If you have something on the go, you have started it and are busy doing it.
Do you like to have many projects on the go at any one time?
PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR after v
21.
If you say that there are a particular number of things to go, you mean that they still remain to be dealt with.
I still had another five operations to go.
PHRASE: amount PHR
22.
If you say that there is a certain amount of time to go, you mean that there is that amount of time left before something happens or ends.
There is a week to go until the elections.
PHRASE: amount PHR, oft PHR prep
23.
If you are in a cafe or restaurant and ask for an item of food
to go, you mean that you want to take it away with you and not eat it there. (
mainly AM; in BRIT, use to take out
, to take away
)
Large fries to go.
PHRASE: n PHR
