goes: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
A1 (Extremely High)Neutral; appropriate for all contexts, from casual to formal.
Quick answer
What does “goes” mean?
Third-person singular present tense of the verb 'go', meaning to move, travel, or proceed from one place to another.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Third-person singular present tense of the verb 'go', meaning to move, travel, or proceed from one place to another.
Extends to indicating the functioning, operation, or progress of something (e.g., 'The machine goes'), or the acceptance/passage of something (e.g., 'The bill goes through parliament'). Also used in many phrasal verbs and set expressions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal differences for the base verb form. Some phrasal verb usage may vary, e.g., 'go to hospital' (UK) vs. 'go to the hospital' (US). Spelling in derived forms: 'goes' is standard in both.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “goes” in a Sentence
NP + goes + (Adv) (Intransitive)NP + goes + Adjective (e.g., goes bad)NP + goes + to/into/through/etc. + NP (Intransitive with prepositional phrase)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “goes” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- My train goes from Platform 2.
- He goes to the cinema every weekend.
- The discussion goes over budget.
American English
- She goes to college in Boston.
- This road goes all the way to Canada.
- The vote goes before the committee Tuesday.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in procedural descriptions: 'The report goes to the board on Friday.'
Academic
Used to describe processes or logical progression: 'The argument goes as follows...'
Everyday
Ubiquitous for describing movement, plans, and states: 'She goes to work by bus.' 'This milk goes in the fridge.'
Technical
In computing: 'The process goes into sleep mode.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “goes”
- Omitting the '-s' in 3rd person singular present: *'She go to school.'
- Using 'goes' with plural subjects: *'They goes home.'
- Confusing 'goes' with past tense 'went'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is used for any singular third-person subject: people, animals, objects, concepts (e.g., Time goes quickly, The machine goes beep).
'Goes' is used with singular third-person subjects (he, she, it, the cat, Sarah). 'Go' is used with I, you, we, they, and plural subjects.
Because the base verb 'go' ends in a vowel sound. For verbs ending in '-o', we typically add '-es' in the third person singular (go > goes, do > does).
No. The past tense of 'go' is 'went'. 'Goes' is strictly present tense for he/she/it.
Third-person singular present tense of the verb 'go', meaning to move, travel, or proceed from one place to another.
Goes is usually neutral; appropriate for all contexts, from casual to formal. in register.
Goes: in British English it is pronounced /ɡəʊz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡoʊz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “as far as it goes”
- “anything goes”
- “here goes nothing”
- “the story goes”
- “so it goes”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: "He GOES, she GOES, it GOES" - it's the 'S' that goes on the end for he/she/it.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MOTION: 'Time goes by.' STATES ARE LOCATIONS: 'The system goes into standby.' LIFE IS A JOURNEY: 'He goes through life cheerfully.'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'goes' correctly?