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Go

We use go to refer to movement, most commonly away from the speaker or listener to another place. We normally use go without an object:

  • Does this tram go to the city centre?
  • Can you wait here while I go back to the house to fetch my jacket?
warning

Don’t confuse go and walk:

  • Shall we take the bus or shall we walk?
  • Not: Shall we take the bus or shall we go?

Go + -ing​

We use go + -ing form when we speak about general activities that involve movement:

  • Jack and his dad have gone fishing until later this evening.
  • It was pouring with rain and all we could do was to go shopping.

If the activities have a clear beginning and end, then go + *to-*infinitive is used:

  • They’ve gone to watch the tennis final.
  • Not: They’ve gone watching …

Go + complement​

We use go + an adjective (complement) to describe changes to the state of things:

  • Don’t let the coffee go cold.
  • Their car went wrong again just two days after it had been repaired.

Go is a word with many different meanings. You will find other meanings of go, and phrasal verbs with go, in a good learner’s dictionary.

See also
  • Get
  • Get or go?

Go and, come and …​

In speaking, we often use and after go and come before the base form of verbs like ask, buy, check, collect, do, find, get:

  • Why don’t you go and ask her?
  • I need to go and buy myself some running shoes.
  • Can you come and do the washing-up?
  • She should go and find another job.

Spoken English:

In informal American English, speakers often leave out and:

  • Would you like to come have lunch with us?
  • I was expecting him to go get the keys.