goverb
Go is the basic word for moving away from where you are to another place, and it also covers leaving, working, passing, and changing into a new state.
move or travelmove or travel from one place to another, away from where you are
intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]
- Where are you going?
- Does this bus go to the station? V + prep + obj
- Sam went home early because he felt sick. V + adv/prep
- Go and see who is at the door. (with and plus a verb; American speech also has go see)
Collocations
verb + adverb go home, go abroad, go upstairs, go outside, go somewhereSynonyms travel (travel is for longer journeys)
Antonyms stay; come
Compare come (come is movement toward the speaker or the listener)
ago somewhere in order to do an activity, or go regularly to a place such as school or work
intransitive [I] verb + -ing form [V + -ing] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]
leaveleave the place where you are
- It's late. I really have to go.
- By the time we got there, everyone had gone.
- Don't go yet; the movie isn't over.
Synonyms leave (leave can take an object: leave the house; go cannot); depart (depart is formal)
Antonyms arrive
of a roadlead or stretch from one place to another, as a road, a path, or a wire does
intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep] not used in continuous tenses [no continuous]
- This road goes all the way to the coast. V + prep + obj
- A narrow path goes along the river to the village. V + prep + obj
- Where does this wire go?
- The fence goes around the whole yard. V + prep + obj
Collocations
Synonyms lead (lead to: this road leads to the coast); run (run is used the same way: the road runs north)
workwork or run, as a machine, an engine, or a clock does
- The car won't go in this cold weather.
- Is your watch going? Mine has stopped.
- It took a few tries to get the engine going. (get something going: make it start)
Synonyms work; run (run is the usual word in American English for engines and machines)
becomechange into a certain state, especially a bad one, or into a certain color
linking [L] verb + adjective [V + adj]
- The milk has gone sour. V + adj
- Her hair went gray when she was still young. V + adj
- Everything went wrong on the first day. V + adj
- He went red when they laughed at his joke. V + adj
Collocations
phrase go wrong, go bad, go crazy, go gray, go quiet, go blindSynonyms become
Compare get (get is the everyday word for most changes: get tired, get old); turn (turn is used for colors and sudden changes: turn red, turn cold)
aremain in a state, especially a bad one, or without something that is needed
linking [L] verb + adjective [V + adj]
- Many families went hungry that winter. V + adj
- Her warning went unnoticed. V + adj
- The crime went unpunished for years. V + adj
Collocations
phrase go hungry, go unnoticed, go unpunished, go unanswered
happen or develophappen or develop in a certain way
intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]
of timepass, as a period of time does
Collocations
verb + adverb go fast, go quickly, go slowlySynonyms pass
belong or fitbelong in a certain place, or fit into a space
intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj] not used in continuous tenses [no continuous]
- The cups go on the top shelf. V + prep + obj
- Where does this piece go?
- My suitcase won't go in the trunk. V + prep + obj
alook, taste, or sound good together or with something else
intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]
- Does this tie go with the shirt? V + prep + obj
- Red wine goes well with cheese. V + prep + obj
- Those two colors don't really go.
make a soundmake a certain sound
- The gun went bang and the birds flew up.
- The alarm goes beep when the battery is low.
- The cat went meow and ran under the bed.
Collocations
phrase go bang, go click, go pop, go beepbe sold or spentbe sold or given to someone, or be spent on something
intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]
of words or a tunehave a certain tune or certain words, as a song, a story, or a saying does
be going tointend to do something, or be expected to happen, judging by the present situation
Only in the form be going to plus a verb, one of the most common ways to talk about the future in speech: it says either what someone intends (I'm going to call her tonight) or what the speaker can see coming (look at those clouds, it's going to rain). Was going to describes a plan that did not happen, and in relaxed speech going to is often said gonna.
intransitive [I] verb + to-infinitive [V + to-inf]
- I'm going to call Mari tonight. V + to-inf
- Look at those clouds. It's going to rain. V + to-inf
- We were going to visit them, but Lee got sick. V + to-inf (a plan that did not happen)
- Are you going to be at the meeting tomorrow? V + to-inf
Compare will (will is for decisions made while speaking, offers, promises, and predictions based on belief; be going to is for plans already made and predictions based on what can already be seen)
Phrases
go without saying
be so obvious that it does not need to be said
Usually with it as the subject: it goes without saying that everyone is welcome.
go for it informal
decide to do something and try as hard as you can, without worrying about the risks
go too far
go easy on someone informal
treat someone more gently or less strictly than you could
Go easy on something means not use too much of it: go easy on the salt.
go from bad to worse
there you go informal
here is what you asked for, or that is right, or that is how things are
Said when you hand something to someone (there you go, one coffee), when someone does or says the right thing, or, with a shrug, when something cannot be helped. There you go again means you are doing the annoying thing you always do.
anything goes informal
everything is allowed and nothing is considered wrong
to go
still left before something ends or is reached
Two days to go means two days remain; three miles to go means three miles remain.
Word family
Choosing between go · come
Both are verbs of movement, and the direction decides between them. Go is movement away from where the speaker is: I'm going to the store. Come is movement toward the speaker, toward the listener, or to a place where the two will be together: come here; I'll come to your party; are you coming with us? For the same reason, has gone means is still away and has been means went and came back.
Usage
In speech, go is often followed by and plus another verb: go and see who it is. American English also uses the bare verb, go see, go get, but only after the base form go: went and saw, never went saw.
Common mistakes
Home is an adverb after go, so there is no to; other places take to: go to work, go to the office.