Even those who have never studied English know that go is "to go". But not everything is as simple as it seems, because the verb go is not always used in this meaning. In this article, we will not consider the numerous semantic meanings of the verb go (of which, by the way, there are more than forty), we will also not understand the stable combinations with the verb go (the number of which is difficult to imagine). In this article we will talk about the construction going to, which, although it includes the verb form go, serves to express completely different meanings.

So when we first see the construction be going to in a sentence, the first thought is normal. For example:

I am going to buy a new camera.

Those who are not yet familiar with construction functions going to, will translate as follows: I'm going to buy a new camera (right now). Everything seems logical, there are no doubts about the correctness of the translation.

However, when more information comes in, it gets trickier:

He is going to publish his new book next year.

The scientists are going to launch a new space project soon.

In fact, everything is simple, you just have to understand one rule: no one goes anywhere!

Going to- a construction that is used to express plans, intentions, forecasts for the future. Respectively:

I am going to buy a new camera. - I'm going to buy a new camera.

He is going to publish his new book next year. - He's going to publish a new book next year.

The scientists are going to launch a new space project soon. - Scientists are planning to launch a new space program soon.

Before we take a closer look at the function of a construct and its grammatical features, let's remember once and for all how to distinguish it from other forms. Let's compare two sentences:

I am going to school now.

I am going to meet my friends tomorrow.

In the first sentence, after going to, a noun follows, therefore, to- a preposition of movement, which indicates the direction where I am actually going now.

In the second sentence after going there is an infinitive with a particle to, that is, a verb. This verb shows what I'm going to do.

And of course, don't forget the context! He is your indispensable assistant, because sometimes only the context allows you to fully understand the meaning of the statement.

Now more about forms.

The construct be going to is always preceded by a verb to be, and it, as you know, varies by gender and number:

I am going to tell you about my last holiday. - I'm going to tell you about my last vacation.

She is going to call you today. - She's going to call you today.

They are going to sell their car. - They're going to sell their car.

If someone is not going to do something, a negative form is built. To the verb to be a negative particle is added not:

I am not going to read this book. - I'm not going to read this book.

He is not going to play with us. - He's not going to play with us.

We are not going to discuss this question. - We are not going to discuss this issue.

And finally, to ask a question, the verb to be moves to the beginning of the sentence:

In addition, the construction be going to is notable for the fact that it can be used in the past tense. To do this, remember that in the past tense the verb to be has only two forms: was and were... And affirmative, negative and interrogative statements are built on the same principle:

I was going to ask you out. - I was going to invite you somewhere.

It was going to rain so I took my umbrella. - It was going to rain, so I took an umbrella.

We were going to have a picnic by the river. “We were going to have a picnic by the river.

I was not going to buy new shoes. I don "t know how it happened! - I wasn’t going to buy new shoes. I don’t know how it happened!

She was not going to help us. “She wasn't going to help us.

They were not going to listen to me. “They weren't going to listen to me.

Everything is clear with forms, now it's time to learn about the meanings of the be going to construction:

1. Planned actions (Plans).

Use be going to when talking about what you have planned, what you want to do in the future. Be going to used more in informal communication, in more formal situations use the verb to plan (to plan).

What are you going to do on holiday? - I am going to visit my parents and spend some time in the countryside. - What are you going to do on vacation? I'm going to visit my parents and spend a few days out of town.

They were going to leave, but I persuaded them to stay. “They intended to leave, but I convinced them to stay.

2. Decisions and Intentions.

If you use be going to, your interlocutor understands that you made the decision in advance, not at the time of the conversation. Be going to also serves to express intent:

Jim and Mary are going to get married. - Jim and Mary are going (decided) to get married.

He is going to become a lawyer like his father. - He is going (intends to) become a lawyer like his father.

3. Predictions Based on Evidence.

This wording may not be entirely clear. Let's look at an example. You look out the window and see black clouds, hear thunder. What prediction will you make? You will most likely say: "Now it will rain (And I, as always, without an umbrella!)".

To express such an assumption in English, you will have to use nothing more than the construction be going to:

It is going to rain.

Or you notice how a person slipped on the street and is about to fall. You say:

He is going to fall.

Be going to should be used to express actions that will surely occur in the near future, which we can judge by what we see and hear.

Please note that in sentences with be going to, the subject can be inanimate, for example it:

It is going to snow. - It will snow.

These are the three main meanings of the be going to construction, in which it is used most often. If your level is average, even above average, then these values ​​will be quite enough for you to communicate. For the advanced level, you can add a couple more.

4. Commands.

Be going to is sometimes used to insist that someone do something, or, conversely, not do it:

You are not going to wear this dress! - You won't wear this dress!

You are going to stay at home whether you want it or not. - You will stay at home, whether you like it or not.

5. Refusals (Refusals).

In Russian, if we really don't want to do something, we say: "I'm not going to do this!" So, in English the same story, if you flatly refuse to do anything, you can say: "I am not going to do it!"... Such a proposal sounds very emotional and even a little rude, so be careful, use it appropriately so as not to offend anyone:

I am not going to do your work! You get paid for it! - I'm not going to do your job! You get paid for it!

I am not going to solve your problems! You "ve made your bed, now you can lie on it!" - I'm not going to solve your problems!

It is important to remember that the construction be going to is not used with verbs. go and come, as well as with some other verbs denoting movement. Instead of going to, these verbs are used:

I am going to the seaside tomorrow. (NOT am going to go) - I'm going / going to the sea tomorrow.

My friends are coming for dinner on Sunday. (NOT are going to come) - My friends are going to come / come to dinner on Sunday.

I would also like to note that in colloquial communication, the pronunciation of going to is often simplified to gonna ["g (ə) nə]... In films and songs, you have repeatedly heard: I "m gonna, you" re gonna etc. So, know that gonna is an informal, conversational version of the design. going to... In negatives, auxiliary verb to be (am not, are not, is not) is also "simplified" and pronounced as ... Read more about abbreviations.

Bon Jovi sings the following in his song It "s My Life:

It "s my life
It "s now or never
I ain "t gonna live forever

This is my life
Now or never
I won't live forever.

A very correct thought, by the way! Bon Jovi's advice is worth heeding:

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Every English learner invariably wondered why the verbs that are written in the dictionary very often have a completely different meaning in a sentence. The topic of phrasal verbs will help you understand why this is happening, and today we will look at the phrasal verb go.

When you look in the dictionary, you only see the basic meaning. But it is worth attaching some kind of preposition or adverb to the verb, its meaning may change.

For example, a combination of verb + preposition to go on has a value other than the main one.
In this case, the basic meaning of "go", "move" is replaced with "continue", "last" or "occur" (about an event).

Important! When translating fixed expressions into Russian, remember that prepositions or adverbs that come immediately after a verb can change its meaning beyond recognition.

Particles that change the meaning of the verb Go

After = to follow (someone)
Along = to agree, to support
Away = end, go away
Back = return to previous state
Down = to go down, to go down (about the sun)
In = to enter, participate
Off = turn off (about the technique), pass (about the event)
Out = to go out of fashion
Over = revise, check
Through = to go through (difficulties)
Under = to fail (fail)
Up = increase
With = to match (about clothes)

Grammatical links

A verb with prepositions forms stable grammatical links, which are called phrasal verbs. Another type of grammatical connectives in which a phrasal verb participates is idioms, or set expressions.

Let's consider each of the groups.

Phrasal verb

Not every verb with a preposition is usually called phrasal - only certain stable phrases have become a separate semantic unit. In fact, it is correct to translate it not as a phrase, but as a separate word.

go out- translation: exit
The preposition out means that the object has left some zone. Out - to be outside, go out - to go out. In Russian, we use the prefix vy- (exit, take off, jump out).
Jane went out of the house.

go up- go up, head up
The preposition up means upward movement, upward direction.
My granny went up the stairs slowly.

go down translation: go down, head down
The preposition down denotes a direction, downward movement
She went out the stairs quickly.

go away- end, leave
Indicates the direction the preposition points to.

To go out with(someone) - to meet (with someone)
In addition to it, the English also use the popular verb to date to mean “to date” or “go on a date”.

To go in for (sports)- to get involved in some activity, to go in for (sports).
Running expression. Many people remember him from school.

Phrasal Verb Translation go over- revise, test, excel.
Differs in great variability of meanings. To use the correct value, you need to have a good understanding of the context.

Idiomatic expressions

An idiom is a stable expression, the meaning of which is not connected with the meaning of the words included in it. Their use diversifies and embellishes our speech. They are part of the cultural code with which you can understand the way of thinking and the nature of native speakers.

Idiomatic expressions are tricky.

For example, go bananas the idiom is not about bananas at all. If she appears in the text, you should know that the one to whom she belongs, outright freaked out, got angry.

Translation of a phrase go dutch easy to turn into nonsense if you don’t know that it’s an idiom that means everyone pays for themselves.

There is an idiom in English go ahead... It translates as "to continue", "to begin" (something). In colloquial slang it can mean "Go ahead!"

Advice! The best way to understand an idiom is to focus on the context and often look into the dictionary of Russian-English idiomatic expressions.

Any professional translator will tell you that 80% of colloquial English speech consists of phrasal verbs. Only 55 phrasal verb go expressions were counted. The ability to correctly use such grammatical constructions in speech is another step towards acquiring language skills.

Hello, hello my dears.

What do you know about a phrasal verb go? Can you list me all the phrases that you know with his participation? Personally, I can name at least ten. And so that you can do the same, today's lesson I devote to the study of these very phrases. Useful phrases, translations and examples are all in the lesson today.

In most cases, you are already using the phrases that we will learn today. You just don't think about them at all. Heard them somewhere in a song, or just in class. But today we are going to do it consciously.

• Go with - to combine

These shoes go with this dress perfectly. You look amazing in it. - These shoes match perfectly with this dress. You look great in it.

• Go back - return to the previous state

After that car accident she went back to normal only after 6 months. - After that accident, she came to her senses only after six months.

• Go off - turn off (about devices), shoot (about weapons), pass (successful, terrible)

My first public speech went off as a disaster. I couldn’t say a word out loud. - My first public appearance was disastrous. I couldn't say a word out loud.

My telephone went off when I needed it the most. - My phone turned off at the moment when I needed it most.

• Go on - to continue, to happen, to get along

Sorry, that I interrupted you. You can go on... - Sorry to interrupt you. You can go on.

She couldn’t understand what was going on... The house was a complete mess. “She couldn't understand what was going on. Everything in the house was in complete disarray.

Lily and her new manager went on well with each other. “Lily and her new manager got along great.

• Go down - go down, go down

The rent prices went down unexpectedly. It may lead to another crisis in the sphere. - Housing prices dropped unexpectedly. This could lead to another crisis in the industry.

• Go through - to overcome (difficulties), to be published (about the book), to explore

Stefania went through all the books she could to find an answer for this question. - Stephanie researched every book she could to find the answer to this question.

The book with his articles is going through for the sixth time. - The book with his articles has been published for the sixth time.

We went through the darkest times. Everything is going to be fine now. - We have overcome the most difficult times. Everything should be fine now.

• Go by - pass (about time), miss

Last year in the university went by very quickly. - The last university year passed very quickly.

You shouldn’t let this chance go by... You will regret it. “You must not miss this chance. You'll regret it.

• Go for - make a decision, choose, relate (to someone)

Mary went for the vacation in Greece. Although Spain sounded more attractive. - Mary chose a vacation in Greece. Although "Spain" sounded more attractive.

The same goes for the senior manager. After what happened today all of you are under my strict control. - The same goes for the senior manager. After what happened today, you are all under my strict control.

• Go up - increase

The prices went up very quickly. It was a shock to board of directors. - Prices have gone up very quickly. It was a shock for the board of directors.

• Go away - go away, end

You injured your leg. The pain will go away in 2 days. - You hurt your leg. The pain will go away in two days.

• Go after - go, follow someone

He ran away but the guard went after... “He ran away, but the guards followed him.

• Go under - to fail, not to withstand (tests)

Many people thought he would go under after everything that happened to him. - Many thought that he would not be able to bear it after everything that happened to him.

• Go over - revise, check

We need to go over the book and our notes to prepare for the exam. “We need to revise the book and our notes to prepare for the exam.

• Go in for - participate, get carried away.

Are you going in for that marathon? It is going to be hard but exciting. - Do you participate in the marathon? It will be exciting.

• Go out - go out of fashion, (with) meet someone

This dress went out years ago. Do you still want to buy it? - This dress went out of fashion a few years ago. Do you still want to buy it?

I am going out with my friend tonight. So don’t wait for me for the dinner. - I'm going to go out with friends. So don't expect me for dinner.

And as always, my good ones, the key to success in English is carefully designed exercises. If you are sure that you have a good memory of the verbs that we learned today - take the test and check yourself.

Share your results and questions in the comments. I will be happy to help you.

List of common English phrasal verbs with examples. Part 2

A phrasal verb is a combination of a specified part of speech with a postposition (adverb or preposition), as a result of which a new semantic unit is formed that has a different meaning. This is a rather extensive topic that requires detailed consideration and elaboration. But since there are many constructs, you should start by choosing a small number of phrases that you can use in speaking and writing. This article discusses the word go, a phrasal verb that has many uses.

Major meanings and to go

The word to go is one of the most common in the English language, and has many meanings. The following are just some of the translation options:

• go, walk;
• drive;
• to be in circulation (about money, coins);
• sound (about the bell);
• be sold (at a specific price);
• pass, disappear;
• cancel;
• crumbling;
• crash.

The context will tell you which of the meanings to choose when translating. By meaning, you can understand what is meant. One of the common mistakes newbies make is trying to translate verbatim using the first definition in the dictionary given in the list of meanings. It should also be remembered that it has the following forms: go, went, gone.

Go - phrasal verb combined with prepositions

Below are the most common combinations. In order to master this topic well, take a few phrases, work them through the exercises, come up with examples with each of them and try to make them part of your active vocabulary, using them in speech. Over time, this seemingly complex topic will become an integral part of your knowledge.

Go: phrasal verb combined with prepositions:

In addition to the various combinations, it should be remembered that some phrases have several meanings. For example, the phrasal verb go off covers at least 4 translation options.

Go + adverbs

Verb combinations with adverbs are somewhat inferior in number to phrases with prepositions. However, the phrases presented in this section are no less common. They are found quite often both in everyday speech of native speakers and in modern literature.

Go: phrasal verb combined with adverbs:

Phrasal verb go: examples of usage

The vocabulary of a foreign language, be it a word or a construction, is better learned in practice. Merely memorizing a list of words is not a very effective method, as knowing individual words is not enough. After all, the main difficulties can arise when trying to combine them into a proposal. In order to harmoniously master the new material, it is best to immediately use it in practice: read ready-made examples and compose your own.

• The tourists go about London. - Tourists walk around London.
• I must go about this work tomorrow. “I have to take on this job tomorrow.
• Let "s go aside, I have to tell you something. - Let's step aside, I need to tell you something.
• Animals go by instinct. - Animals are guided by instincts.
• I go in for sports from a childhood. - I have been involved in sports since childhood.
• The milk went off... - The milk has gone bad.
• She likes to go out... - She likes to go out into society.
• She went up to him and asked something. - She went up to him and asked something.

Try to replace common phrases with synonyms - this will diversify your speech. For example, the simple question "what's going on?" can be translated in different ways: What "s happening ?, Is there something up ?, What" s going on? (phrasal verb occurs quite often).

Consistency and perseverance are the main secrets of success. To understand a topic well in English, you need to regularly devote time to it. Daily lessons of 15-30 minutes are much more effective than one long lesson once a week.

In English speech. This is the main verb that is responsible for the designation of movement. It is characterized by the following values:

Grammatical characteristics of the verb to go

This verb belongs to the category of irregular verbs. Below are three basic forms, which in the to go verb, like other verbs of this group, do not obey the rules in their shaping:

The verb to go is pronounced, which means that it cannot be used in forms. In the active voice for the verb to go, the following forms are characteristic:

Direction designation with the verb to go (to / to the / no preposition)

The verb to go is very often used to indicate a certain direction. Traditionally, in English, the preposition to is used to indicate the direction. However, sometimes the definite article should be used after it (go to the theater / go to the theater), and sometimes not (go to school / go to school). Let's figure out when the article after to is needed, and when not.

The article the may not be used before school, hospital, university, church, prison, bed, work, if these places / institutions are used the executor of the action for their direct purpose. That is, he goes to school to study, to the hospital to receive treatment, to church to pray, to bed to sleep, etc. If the performer of the action is sent there for some other purpose, then the article the is used. Consider the following examples:

The same rule applies to these nouns if another verb is used. Other destination nouns use the article the after the preposition to: go to the cinema, go to the circus, etc.

However, there are also cases when the use of a preposition and an article is completely redundant. This includes the phrase to go home:

Also, without a preposition, the verb to go is used with a gerund, that is, the ing-ovoy form of the verb, which is described in more detail below.

Using the verb to go with a gerund

Quite often the verb to go is found in constructions with a gerund. In part, such constructions can be translated with the basic meaning of the verb to go, for example, to go shopping - "to go shopping", but since the gerund often expresses some kind of occupation, the more convenient translation in many cases is the meaning of "to do":

Expressions with the verb to go

In fact, there are many more stable expressions with the verb to go. We recommend that you write down the most interesting ones when you come across them so that you can more easily remember them.

Phrasal verbs with to go stem