Come vs. Go: What's the Difference?
The terms come and go are both verbs that describe movement, but their usage depends on the speaker's perspective. Come is used when the movement is towards the speaker or the reference point, whereas go implies movement away from the speaker or the point of reference. Understanding the context of the conversation is crucial to selecting the appropriate word.
How do you use the word come in a sentence?
The word come is used to express movement towards the person speaking or to a specific place that is considered a point of arrival. It signifies approaching from somewhere else. In instructions or invitations, come sets the expectation for someone or something to approach or move closer to the speaker's current location.
Examples of come in a sentence
- Can you come to the office for a quick meeting this afternoon?
- As the holidays come closer, we all get excited about the celebrations.
- When you come to a crossroad, be sure to follow the sign towards the lake.
How do you use the word go in a sentence?
The verb go is applied when someone or something moves away from a point, often involving the speaker's position. It is also used to express attending an event or location that isn't near the speaker. Go includes the idea of leaving a place to embark on a journey to a different destination.
Examples of go in a sentence
- Are you planning to go to the new art exhibition downtown?
- She will go to Europe next summer for a student exchange program.
- If you go past the bakery, could you pick up some bread?
Come and go definition, parts of speech, and pronunciation
Come definition:
The verb come means to move or travel towards the speaker or towards a specified place; arrive.
Come parts of speech:
Come pronunciation:
It is pronounced as /kʌm/, with a soft 'k' sound followed by a short 'uh' and ending with an 'm'.
Go definition:
The verb go means to leave from one place to another; proceed or travel to a destination.
Go parts of speech:
Go pronunciation:
It is pronounced as /ɡoʊ/, beginning with a hard 'g' sound, followed by a long 'o' as in 'oh'.
The verb come means to move or travel towards the speaker or towards a specified place; arrive.
Come parts of speech:
- As a verb: Come here and see what I found!
Come pronunciation:
It is pronounced as /kʌm/, with a soft 'k' sound followed by a short 'uh' and ending with an 'm'.
Go definition:
The verb go means to leave from one place to another; proceed or travel to a destination.
Go parts of speech:
- As a verb: We should go before it gets too late.
Go pronunciation:
It is pronounced as /ɡoʊ/, beginning with a hard 'g' sound, followed by a long 'o' as in 'oh'.
Come vs. Go in a nutshell
In essence, come and go indicate movement in opposite directions relative to the speaker. Come denotes movement to the speaker's location, while go signals a departure to a different destination. Mastering the use of these verbs enhances clarity and precision in communication, making it easier for others to understand the intended direction of movement.
Get AI Writing Assistance Wherever You Type
Make sure your vocabulary is on point and every punctuation mark is in the right place, no matter where you’re working. Grammarly works across more than 500,000 websites and apps so you can improve your writing without copying, pasting, or breaking focused.
More Commonly Confused Words
Interest piqued? Pore (not pour) over other commonly confused words to help your writing reach peak (not peek) performance.