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Go

/ɡoʊ/

verbnounA1

Definition

"Go" is a very common word used to talk about moving somewhere, leaving a place, or starting an action. As a noun, it can mean a chance or turn to do something, like in games or activities.

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See It in Action

To move or travel from one place to another

  • •I go to school every day.
  • •She will go to the store after lunch.
  • •They go home at 5 p.m.

To leave a place

  • •Please go now; the meeting is over.
  • •He went away for the weekend.
  • •We need to go before it gets dark.

To start or proceed with an action

  • •The race will go at 3 o’clock.
  • •Let’s go and see a movie.
  • •Go ahead and ask your question.

(Noun) A turn or attempt in a game or activity

  • •It’s your go to play the card.
  • •I had two goes at solving the puzzle.
  • •Everyone gets a go in the game.

Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of "go" like "move," but shorter and more general—it means to start moving or leave.
  • ✓Picture someone walking out of a room or starting a race—that's "go."
  • ✓It's the feeling when you get ready to start something, like a game or a trip.
  • ✓Sounds like "go" → imagine a green traffic light telling you "go" to move forward.
  • ✓Think of the phrase "Ready, set, go!" used to start running in races.
  • ✓NOT like "stay" (which means to remain in one place), "go" means to leave or move away.
  • ✓NOT like "run" (which means to move fast), "go" can be slow or fast movement.
  • ✓NOT like "stop" (which means to end movement), "go" means to start or continue moving.

Try Other Words

  • •Leave: to go away from a place (Use when the focus is on leaving a place)
  • •Travel: to go from one place to another, often far away (Use when talking about longer journeys)
  • •Proceed: to continue or start doing something (Use when focusing on starting or continuing an action)
  • •Depart: to leave, especially for a trip (Use in formal or travel contexts)

Unboxing

  • •Word parts: simple base verb with no prefix or suffix
  • •Etymology: Old English "gān," meaning to go, walk, or move
  • •Historical development: One of the oldest and most basic English verbs, used since early English times to describe movement
  • •Modern usage: Used in many phrases and idioms, very common in everyday speech and writing

Reflect & Connect

•How does the word "go" change meaning when you use it as a verb versus a noun?
•Can "go" be used in situations that are not about physical movement? How?

Fill in the blanks

1.You should ___ to the doctor if you feel sick because ___ is the action of moving to a place.
2.When the light turns green, cars ___ and start moving forward.
3.In the game, it’s your ___ to roll the dice and play.
4.If you want to leave the party, you can ___ anytime you like.
5.The teacher told us to ___ ahead and start the test after the instructions.
6.He didn’t want to ___ fast, so he walked slowly to the door.
7.After the meeting, everyone decided to ___ home and rest.