You may go over a report, go through a difficult period, or go ahead with a plan. Each expression begins with go, but the added particle or preposition changes its meaning and grammar pattern.
Unlike many phrasal verbs with put, most expressions with go are not separable. Some do not take an object at all:
The alarm went off.
Others require a noun, pronoun, or -ing form after the complete expression:
Hannah went over the figures.
Hannah went over them.
Longer patterns may include an additional preposition:
Daniel went through with the decision.
Learning the full pattern helps you understand what may follow each expression and prevents errors such as moving an object into the wrong position.
Quick List of Phrasal Verbs With Go
| Expression | Short meaning | Complete pattern |
|---|---|---|
| go about | begin or deal with something | go about something or doing something |
| go after | pursue or try to obtain | go after somebody or something |
| go against | oppose or conflict with | go against somebody or something |
| go ahead | proceed | go ahead; go ahead with something |
| go around | circulate or visit several places | go around; go around something |
| go away | leave or disappear | go away |
| go back | return | go back; go back to something |
| go by | pass or be guided by | go by; go by something |
| go down | decrease, happen, or be received | go down |
| go for | choose, pursue, or attempt | go for something |
| go into | enter, examine, or begin a profession | go into something |
| go off | sound, explode, spoil, or stop liking | go off; go off something |
| go on | continue or happen | go on; go on doing something |
| go out | leave socially, stop burning, or be sent | go out |
| go over | review or examine | go over something |
| go through | experience, examine, or use | go through something |
| go together | match or belong together | go together |
| go under | fail financially or sink | go under |
| go up | increase or be built | go up |
| go with | match, accompany, or choose | go with something |
| go without | manage without something | go without something |
| go along with | agree with or accompany | go along with somebody or something |
| go back on | fail to keep a promise | go back on something |
| go in for | enjoy, choose, or enter | go in for something or doing something |
| go on about | talk repeatedly about | go on about somebody or something |
| go out with | have a romantic relationship with | go out with somebody |
| go through with | complete a difficult decision or action | go through with something |
How Phrasal Verbs With “Go” Work
Phrasal verbs and related multi-word expressions with go follow several common patterns.
Intransitive Patterns
An intransitive expression does not take a direct object.
The children went away.
The lights went out.
Prices went up.
In these sentences, nothing receives the action directly. Words that follow may add information about time, place, manner, or degree, but they are not direct objects.
The lights went out during the storm.
Prices went up quickly.
Objects After the Complete Expression
Many expressions with go require a noun, pronoun, or -ing form after the particle or preposition.
Michael went over the contract.
Michael went over it.
Sophie went about solving the problem carefully.
The object remains after the complete expression.
Incorrect: Michael went the contract over.
Correct: Michael went over the contract.
Three-Word and Extended Patterns
Some expressions contain three words or require an additional preposition.
go along with something
go back on something
go out with somebody
go through with something
The object follows the complete expression:
Emma went through with the interview.
Emma went through with it.
These patterns are not separable.
Common Two-Word Phrasal Verbs With Go
1. Go About
Pattern: go about something or doing something
Meaning 1: Begin or Deal With a Task
Use go about to describe the method used to start or handle something.
Olivia was unsure how to go about organising the files.
How should we go about this problem?
The noun or -ing form follows the complete expression.
Meaning 2: Move From Place to Place
In some contexts, go about means move around a place while carrying out ordinary activities.
James went about his work without mentioning the disagreement.
This use often appears with possessive forms such as his work, her duties, or their business.
2. Go After
Pattern: go after somebody or something
Meaning 1: Pursue Someone
The security guard went after the man who had entered the restricted area.
Meaning 2: Try to Obtain Something
Hannah decided to go after the promotion.
The object follows after:
She went after it.
3. Go Against
Pattern: go against somebody or something
Meaning 1: Oppose Something
Several members went against the proposal.
Meaning 2: Conflict With a Rule, Belief, or Principle
Sharing that information would go against company policy.
Meaning 3: Produce an Unfavourable Result
The final decision went against the applicant.
The person or thing affected follows against.
4. Go Ahead
Pattern: go ahead; go ahead with something
Meaning 1: Proceed
The organisers decided to go ahead despite the rain.
Meaning 2: Begin or Continue With a Plan
The board went ahead with the merger.
With an object, use with:
Incorrect: The board went ahead the merger.
Correct: The board went ahead with the merger.
Meaning 3: Give Permission
Go ahead may be used as a short response allowing someone to proceed.
“May I open the window?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
5. Go Around
Pattern: go around; go around something
Meaning 1: Circulate Among People
A rumour went around the office.
Meaning 2: Visit Several People or Places
Daniel went around the neighbourhood asking whether anyone had seen the dog.
Meaning 3: Move Around an Obstacle
We had to go around the fallen tree.
The last meaning is more literal because it describes physical movement around something.
6. Go Away
Pattern: go away
Meaning 1: Leave a Place
The visitors went away before sunset.
Meaning 2: Travel Somewhere for a Break
Emma is going away for the weekend.
Meaning 3: Disappear or Stop
The pain did not go away immediately.
This expression is intransitive. It does not take a direct object.
7. Go Back
Pattern: go back; go back to something
Meaning 1: Return to a Place
Thomas went back to the office for his keys.
Meaning 2: Return to an Earlier Activity or Situation
Sophie went back to studying after lunch.
Meaning 3: Date From an Earlier Time
The building’s history goes back more than two hundred years.
The phrase go back to may introduce a place, activity, event, or period.
8. Go By
Pattern: go by; go by something
Meaning 1: Pass
Several weeks went by without an answer.
Meaning 2: Be Guided by Something
We should go by the written instructions.
Meaning 3: Use a Particular Name
Her full name is Catherine, but she goes by Kate.
The meaning depends on what follows the expression.
9. Go Down
Pattern: go down
Meaning 1: Decrease
Fuel prices went down slightly in June.
Meaning 2: Be Recorded or Remembered
The performance will go down in history as one of the theatre’s greatest successes.
Meaning 3: Be Received in a Particular Way
The new policy did not go down well with employees.
Meaning 4: Stop Working or Become Unavailable
The company website went down during the sale.
Meaning 5: Happen
In informal English, go down may mean happen.
No one knew exactly what had gone down at the meeting.
10. Go For
Pattern: go for something
Meaning 1: Choose Something
Lucy went for the blue jacket.
Meaning 2: Try to Obtain or Achieve Something
Michael is going for a senior position.
Meaning 3: Attempt Something
The team decided to go for a more ambitious target.
Meaning 4: Attack Someone
The dog suddenly went for the stranger.
Context determines whether the expression refers to choosing, pursuing, attempting, or attacking.
11. Go Into
Pattern: go into something
Meaning 1: Enter a Place
Daniel went into the kitchen to make coffee.
This is a literal movement pattern.
Meaning 2: Examine or Explain in Detail
The report does not go into the reasons for the decline.
Meaning 3: Begin a Profession or Field
Hannah plans to go into teaching.
Meaning 4: Begin a Particular State
The company went into administration after months of financial difficulty.
The exact meaning depends on the noun or -ing form that follows.
12. Go Off
Pattern: go off; go off somebody or something
Meaning 1: An Alarm or Device Sounds
The smoke alarm went off at midnight.
Meaning 2: Something Explodes
A firework went off near the garden fence.
Meaning 3: Food Spoils
The milk has gone off.
This use is especially common in British English.
Meaning 4: Stop Liking Someone or Something
Sophie has gone off coffee since becoming ill.
He went off the idea after hearing the full cost.
The person or thing no longer liked follows the complete expression.
Meaning 5: Stop Operating
The heating went off during the night.
13. Go On
Pattern: go on; go on doing something; go on to do something
Meaning 1: Continue
The meeting went on for another hour.
Emma went on talking despite the interruption.
Use go on doing when the same action continues.
Meaning 2: Happen
What is going on outside?
Meaning 3: Begin Operating
The streetlights went on at dusk.
Meaning 4: Do Something Next
After discussing the causes, the speaker went on to explain the solution.
Use go on to do when one action is followed by a different action.
Meaning 5: Encourage Someone to Continue
“Go on,” Daniel said. “Tell us what happened.”
14. Go Out
Pattern: go out
Meaning 1: Leave Home for a Social Activity
Olivia went out with her colleagues after work.
Meaning 2: Stop Burning or Shining
The fire went out before morning.
Meaning 3: Be Sent, Announced, or Broadcast
An emergency message went out to all employees.
Meaning 4: Become Unfashionable
That style went out several years ago.
Meaning 5: Leave to Take Part in an Activity
The rescue team went out during the storm.
15. Go Over
Pattern: go over something
Meaning 1: Review Something Carefully
James went over the figures before submitting the report.
Meaning 2: Explain or Practise Something Again
The teacher went over the pronunciation rules with the class.
Meaning 3: Examine a Place or Object
The mechanic went over the engine for signs of damage.
The object remains after over:
James went over them.
16. Go Through
Pattern: go through something
Meaning 1: Experience Something Difficult or Important
Emma went through a stressful period after changing jobs.
Meaning 2: Examine Something Carefully
The solicitor went through the contract line by line.
Meaning 3: Search Something
The officers went through the luggage.
Meaning 4: Use or Consume Something
The office goes through a large amount of paper each month.
Meaning 5: Receive Formal Approval
The application went through without further questions.
This final use is intransitive because no object follows the expression.
17. Go Together
Pattern: go together
Meaning 1: Match or Look Suitable Together
The curtains and cushions go together well.
Meaning 2: Be Closely Connected
Careful planning and consistent results often go together.
This expression usually does not take a direct object.
18. Go Under
Pattern: go under
Meaning 1: Fail Financially
Several small businesses went under during the downturn.
Meaning 2: Sink Below the Surface
The damaged boat went under within minutes.
The financial meaning is common in business reporting.
19. Go Up
Pattern: go up
Meaning 1: Increase
Rent went up again this year.
Meaning 2: Be Built
A new apartment building is going up near the station.
Meaning 3: Be Displayed or Posted
The notice went up on Monday morning.
Meaning 4: Be Destroyed by Fire or Explosion
The storage unit went up in flames.
20. Go With
Pattern: go with something
Meaning 1: Match Something
This tie goes with your grey suit.
Meaning 2: Accompany Something
A short manual goes with the machine.
Meaning 3: Choose Something
After comparing the options, Hannah went with the cheaper plan.
The object follows with:
Hannah went with it.
21. Go Without
Pattern: go without something
Meaning: Manage without having or using something.
The family had to go without heating for two days.
Michael chose to go without dessert.
The noun or -ing form follows the complete expression.
Three-Word and Extended Patterns With Go
22. Go Along With
Pattern: go along with somebody or something
Meaning 1: Agree With an Idea or Decision
Sophie did not go along with the proposed changes.
Meaning 2: Accompany Someone
Daniel went along with his brother to the appointment.
The first meaning concerns agreement. The second concerns physical accompaniment.
23. Go Back On
Pattern: go back on something
Meaning: Fail to keep a promise, agreement, or commitment.
The supplier went back on its promise to deliver by Friday.
With a pronoun:
The supplier went back on it.
The expression is not the same as go back, which means return.
24. Go In For
Pattern: go in for something or doing something
Meaning 1: Enjoy or Regularly Participate in Something
Emma does not go in for competitive sports.
Meaning 2: Enter a Competition or Examination
James went in for the photography competition.
Meaning 3: Choose a Particular Style or Approach
The designer went in for a simple layout.
This expression is especially common in British English.
25. Go On About
Pattern: go on about somebody or something
Meaning: Talk repeatedly or for too long about the same subject.
Thomas kept going on about the parking problem.
The expression often suggests that the speaker finds the repetition annoying.
With a pronoun:
He kept going on about it.
26. Go Out With
Pattern: go out with somebody
Meaning: Have a romantic relationship with someone.
Lucy has been going out with Daniel for several months.
The person follows the full expression:
Lucy is going out with him.
Do not confuse this with go out, which may mean leave home socially.
27. Go Through With
Pattern: go through with something
Meaning: Complete a difficult, unpleasant, or uncertain decision or action.
Hannah decided to go through with the complaint.
Michael was nervous, but he went through with it.
This expression focuses on completing an action despite hesitation or difficulty.
Commonly Confused Phrasal Verbs With Go
Go Away vs. Go Out
Use go away when leaving a place, travelling for a period, or disappearing:
Emma went away for three days.
The headache eventually went away.
Use go out when leaving home socially, when a flame stops burning, or when information is sent:
Emma went out for dinner.
The candle went out.
Go Over vs. Go Through
Both expressions may involve careful examination.
Use go over when reviewing, checking, or explaining something:
Let us go over the main points again.
Use go through when examining something systematically, searching it, experiencing it, or consuming it:
The accountant went through every receipt.
The family went through a difficult year.
The distinction depends on context, and the meanings overlap in some review situations.
Go On vs. Go Ahead
Use go on when something continues, happens, or moves to a next stage:
The discussion went on until noon.
Use go ahead when someone proceeds with a plan or receives permission:
The company went ahead with the launch.
“May I begin?” “Go ahead.”
Go With vs. Go Along With
Use go with when matching, accompanying, or choosing:
The blue cover goes with the silver frame.
We went with the second option.
Use go along with when agreeing or accompanying:
I cannot go along with that decision.
Emma went along with her sister.
Both may describe accompaniment, but go along with is also strongly associated with agreement.
Go Back vs. Go Back On
Use go back when returning:
Daniel went back to the station.
Use go back on when breaking a promise or agreement:
Daniel went back on his word.
The added preposition on creates a completely different meaning.
Go For vs. Go In For
Use go for when choosing, pursuing, attempting, or attacking:
Olivia went for the larger room.
Use go in for when enjoying, regularly participating in, or entering something:
Olivia does not go in for team sports.
She went in for the writing competition.
Go Out vs. Go Out With
Use go out when leaving home socially:
Michael went out after work.
Use go out with somebody when describing a romantic relationship:
Michael is going out with Sophie.
The person in the second pattern follows with.
Forms of Phrasal Verbs With Go
The verb go is irregular.
| Verb form | Example |
|---|---|
| Base form | go through |
| Third-person singular | goes through |
| Simple past | went through |
| Past participle | has gone through |
| Present participle | going through |
Examples:
The team goes over the figures every Monday.
The team went over the figures yesterday.
The team has gone over the figures twice.
The team is going over the figures now.
Common Verb-Form Errors
Incorrect: She goed through a difficult period.
Correct: She went through a difficult period.
Incorrect: He has went back to work.
Correct: He has gone back to work.
Incorrect: They are goeing out tonight.
Correct: They are going out tonight.
The particle or preposition remains unchanged:
- go through
- goes through
- went through
- has gone through
- going through
Related Expressions With Go That Are Not Counted
Some common expressions with go are fixed idioms or broader constructions rather than core entries in this list.
| Expression | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| go all out | make the greatest possible effort | idiomatic expression |
| go for it | proceed confidently or attempt something | fixed encouragement |
| go so far as to do something | take an action to an extreme degree | fixed construction |
| go it alone | act without help | idiom |
| go back a long way | have known someone or existed for a long time | idiom |
These expressions are useful, but counting them as ordinary phrasal verbs would blur important structural differences.
Final Point
Phrasal verbs with go become easier to use when you record the complete structure:
- go away
- go over something
- go on doing something
- go back on something
- go out with somebody
- go through with something
The full pattern shows whether the expression takes an object, where that object belongs, and whether an additional preposition is required.
FAQs About Phrasal Verbs With Go
What are some common phrasal verbs with “go”?
Common examples include go away, go back, go by, go down, go for, go off, go on, go out, go over, go through, go under, go up, go with, and go without. Longer patterns include go back on, go out with, and go through with.
Are phrasal verbs with “go” separable?
Most common expressions with go are not separable. Some are intransitive, such as go away and go out. Others keep the object after the complete expression, such as go over something and go through something.
What is the difference between “go out” and “go away”?
Go out often means leave home for a social activity, stop burning, or be sent. Go away means leave a place, travel for a period, or disappear. For example, we went out for dinner differs from we went away for the weekend.
What does “go off” mean?
Go off has several meanings. An alarm may sound, something may explode, food may spoil, a device may stop operating, or a person may stop liking something. The surrounding context identifies the intended meaning.
What is the difference between “go over” and “go through”?
Go over commonly means review, check, or explain something. Go through may mean experience, examine systematically, search, use, or receive approval. The two expressions may overlap when something is being reviewed carefully.
What does “go through with” mean?
Go through with something means complete a difficult or uncertain decision or action despite hesitation. For example: She decided to go through with the interview.
What is the past tense of “go”?
The simple past of go is went. The past participle is gone. For example: They went ahead with the plan and They have gone ahead with the plan.
Is “go out with” a three-word phrasal verb?
It is commonly taught as a three-word phrasal verb or multi-word verb. The complete pattern is go out with somebody, meaning have a romantic relationship with that person. The object follows the final preposition.
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