100+ Collocations with the Word "GO" ("go home," "go on vacation," "go to the park," and many more!)

"Go" is a simple word with some tricky usages. For instance, why do people go to someone's house, but when they're done visiting, they go home? If you want some answers to questions like this one, this page is for you. If you just want a list of "go" phrases to improve your vocabulary or to double-check whether you should say "go to the bed" or "go to bed" (The answer is "go to bed"), this page is for you, too.

Of course, it is not enough to just read a list of phrases. If you really want to improve your English skills, you need to practice, too. As you go through each section, answer the practice questions. This will increase the chances of these phrases sticking in your mind. Learning a language shouldn't be a cold, academic process: It should be active and enjoyable.

So, join me and practice using some of the most common phrases with the word "go." Let's go!

GO home, downtown, overseas, abroad, there, here, shopping, hunting, fishing, kayaking, swimming, skiing, hiking, jogging, running, biking, cycling, skating, bowling, golfing, dancing, clubbing, in (enter a place), on (continue with something), by (pass a place), wild, nuts, crazy, broke (lose all of one's money), out (go outside, or go enjoy oneself outside of one's home)

You can follow the word "go" with adverbs, gerunds, adjectives, and prepositions. One of the most common questions about "go" in this case is why it is incorrect to say "I went to home." This is because "home" is an adverb, just like "downtown," "overseas," and words like "there" or "here." It doesn't refer to a concrete physical place, but a general idea of one. An apartment can be home, a house can be home, a condominium can be home, etc. If you want to say "to home," you can do it by saying "I went to my sister's home" or "We went to her parents' home." However, if you just use "home," remember to say "I went home."

Practice 1: Look at the list of activities above. Which ones do you enjoy? For example, do you like going hiking? Fishing? What about going bowling or shopping?

Practice 2: When you were in high school, what time did you usually go home? (Meaning, what time did school finish, and what time did you start the journey from your school to your home?)

GO ON an adventure, a trip, a journey, (a) vacation, (a) holiday, a cruise, a date, a honeymoon, a rollercoaster, foot (walk somewhere), a helicopter, a plane, a train, the roof, a shopping spree (a short period of time in which one buys many things)

Many of the collocations in this category refer to amusement and travel. You can "go on vacation" or "go on a vacation." Later on this page, you will see a list of transportation methods that use the phrase "go by." You can go somewhere by bus, by train, or by taxi. However, if you walk somewhere, you don't go by foot--you go on foot. Oh, and if you have a problem on top of your house, you might have to ask someone to go on the roof to fix it.

Practice 1: What is one of your favourite places to go on vacation?

Practice 2: What is a good place to go on a date in your town, village, or city?

GO TO THE bank, bathroom, toilet, library, gas station, grocery store, park, gym, market, airport, book store, mall, store, cemetery, beach, hospital, police station, fire station, hairdresser, barber, doctor, dentist, movies, theatre (this could refer to the movie theatre or the dramatic arts theatre), back/end of the line, front/start of the line

This category refers to most public places. Even if there are multiple banks and multiple parks in your region, the most common sentences you will hear are still "I'm going to the bank," or "I'm going to the park." Many people go to the mall to shop. You can also go to the doctor (or, "see a doctor"/"see the doctor").

Practice 1: When was the last time you went to the dentist?

Practice 2: How often do you go to the park?

GO TO A concert, hockey game, basketball game, restaurant, buffet, wedding, funeral, baptism, party, convention, hotel, yoga studio, physiotherapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, allergist, dermatologist, guidance counselor, specialist

This phrase is commonly used when you attend a public or private event. The word "restaurant" is an interesting addition to this list that doesn't fit with the "go to the" + public place category earlier on this list. This could be because most cities have a lot of restaurants, and because you have a lot of choices, you have to pick a restaurant to go to. This is an imperfect explanation, but just know that the next time you have to think about having lunch with a friend, you might hear someone ask, "Do you want to eat at home or go to a restaurant?"

Specialists are also an interesting addition to this category. Keep in mind that you can go to a doctor or a dentist, but you are more likely to hear someone say "I need to go to the doctor" if they have an injury, but "I need to go to a physiotherapist" if they need someone who specializes in physiotherapy.

Practice 1: When was the last time you went to a wedding?

Practice 2: When was the last time you went to a sporting event, like a soccer game or a cricket match?

GO TO work, bed, city hall, jail, prison, school, high school, university, college, church, mosque, someone's house, someone's website

"Bed" refers to sleep. "Work" refers to completing specific tasks. If you are registered at a school, you go to school. If you belong to a mosque or a church, you go to them. Don't think about the reasons behind these collocations too hard. Just know that the common phrase isn't "I'm going to the bed," but "I'm going to bed."

Practice 1: What time do you usually go to bed?

Practice 2: Where did you go to school when you were younger?

GO BY

car, bus, train, taxi, metro, bike, boat, plane, an/the escalator (more common: "take the escalator"), an/the elevator (more common: "take the elevator")

This category refers to methods of transportation. If you take a plane to travel from Chicago to Denver, you went from Chicago to Denver by plane. How do you get to work or school every day? You can say "I get to work by bus" or "I go to work by bus." The only exception to this category is walking. Look up, and remember that if you walk somewhere, you go there on foot. When it comes to vehicles, it's also very common to just use the words "travel" and "take" instead of "go." For example, "We traveled by plane," or "We took the plane."

Practice 1: How do you normally get to work? Do you go by car? By bus? On foot?

Practice 2: Do you prefer to travel by train or travel by bus?

I hope you enjoyed this resource. Did I miss anything? If you can think of other collocations with the word "go," please leave them in the comments. I always look forward to seeing what language learners think of!

Finally, if you want to continue learning English with me, or if you just want to support what I do, please consider purchasing one of my books. Thank you, and I wish you success in your studies.