🚶‍♀️ How to use the verb go in English

Key patterns: go + -ing, go to, go for a, go on a, plus go + adverb, transport, “go and + verb”, and phrasal verbs.

go + -ing (activities) go to + place / event go for a + activity go on a + trip/holiday go + home/there/abroad (no “to”) go by + transport go and + V / go + V (AmE) phrasal verbs: go out/on/back…

🟩GO + -ing (sports & activities)

PATTERN Use go + -ing with many sports and leisure activities.

On Saturdays, we go walking in the park.
I want to go shopping after class.
Let’s go swimming at the pool.
They sometimes go cycling near the river.

Compare

play + ball games: play tennis, play football.
do + non-game exercise: do yoga, do karate.

🟠GO TO + place/event

PLACES

I’m going to the library to study.
She goes to the gym on Mondays.
We went to a café after the lesson.
Typical places with the: go to the cinema, to the park, to the supermarket.

FIXED EXPRESSIONS (no article)

go to work, go to bed 🛏️
go to school (= as a student)
go to hospital (= as a patient). Visiting → go to the hospital.

🧭GO + adverb (no “to”)

DIRECTION / PLACE ADVERBS No “to” before adverbs like home, there, here, somewhere, anywhere, north, left, upstairs, downtown, abroad.

Let’s go home after the lesson.
We can go there tomorrow.
My parents sometimes go abroad in summer.
Go upstairs and get your bag.

🚌Transport: GO BY / GO ON

PATTERN

I usually go by bus to work.
We went on foot because it was close.
Get on the bus here and get off at the next stop.

🥤GO FOR A + activity

PATTERN

I’m going to go for a walk after dinner.
Shall we go for a coffee after class?
Let’s go for a run on Sunday morning.

🧳GO ON A + trip/holiday

PATTERN

We went on a day trip to the mountains.
They’re going on holiday next month.
She went on a school trip with her class.

🧩GO AND + base verb

SPOKEN ENGLISH

I’ll go and get my notebook.
Go and ask the teacher.
AmE often drops “and”: Go get your jacket; Go see your doctor.

🎭GO + adjective (change of state)

MEANING

The milk went bad in the fridge.
The room went quiet when the teacher came in.
My phone went dead during the lesson.
The answer went wrong because I was in a hurry.

🧭Common phrasal verbs with GO

go out (leave/socialize; light stops shining): We go out on Fridays; The lights went out.
go on (continue/happen): Please go on; What’s going on?
go back (return): I went back home after class.
go over (review): Let’s go over the answers together.
go through (experience/examine): We went through the text slowly.
go off (sound/spoil): My alarm went off at 7; The milk went off.
go with (match/choose): This bag goes with my coat; I’ll go with option A.
go for (try/choose): I’ll go for the easier exercise first.

🧪More natural examples

What time do you go to class? — At six.
I’m tired. I’m going to bed early tonight.
He couldn’t go to school yesterday because he was sick.
Let’s go there by bus and come back on foot.
We go swimming in summer.
She’s gone abroad for a short course.

🚫Common mistakes

❌ go to home → ✅ go home
❌ go to shopping → ✅ go shopping
❌ go in bus → ✅ go by bus / on the bus
❌ go to the school (as a student) → ✅ go to school — visitor: go to the school.
❌ go to hospital (to visit) → ✅ visitor: go to the hospital; patient: go to hospital.

✅Quick checks

Activities? → go + -ing / go for a
City places/events? → go to (+ the/a)
Direction words? → go + home/there/here/abroad (no “to”)
Travel? → go by transport / go on a trip/holiday
Next action/errand? → go and + verb (spoken)

Recap: go pairs with -ing for activities, to for places/events, for a for short actions, on a for trips, takes adverbs of place without “to”, and forms many useful phrasal verbs. 🌟