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Jooney Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Come vs. go
Hi,
I was inspired by PJ's posts on this topic and thought it would be interesting to devise a rule on when to use "come" and when to use "go".
I thought up some possible scenarios.
1. I(speaker) am doing the moving.
case 1:
Destination: listener's place+listener is home right now
Can I come to your house now? vs. Can I go to your house now?
Both are fine.
case 2:
Destination: listener's place+listener is not home, but will have come home by 8:00
I'm going to come to your house at 7:00 and do some laundry vs. I'm going to go to your house at 7:00 and do some laundry.
Which one is right?
case 3:
Destination: third person's place and listener's is not at that place
I'll go to the beach, weather permitting. vs. I'll come to the beach, weather permitting.
"go' is right.
case 4:
Destination: third person's place and listener is at that place.
You are already at his place? I'm going. vs. I'm coming.
The latter seems to be the right choice? Why?
case 5:
Destination: where I am right now (irrespective of where the listener is)
I came home just a few minutes ago. vs. I went home just a few minutes ago.
"come" is right.
2. You(listener) are doing the moving
case 1:
Destination: speaker's place+speaker is home right now.
You want to come over for a cup of coffee. vs. You want to go over for a cup of coffee.
"come" is correct.
case 2:
Destination: speaker's place+speaker's not home, but will be there at the time the listener arrives.
Are you coming for dinner tonight? vs. Are you going for dinner tonight?
"come" is correct.
case 3:
Destination: third person's place+speaker is not at that place.
Are you going to PJ's party this Friday. vs. Are you coming to PJ's party this Friday?
Are both fine?
case 4:
Destination: third person's place+speaker is at that place.
The party has just started. What time are you coming? vs. What time are you going?
"come" is correct.
case 5:
Destination: where the listener is right now.
You went to the mall this morning and then, you came straight home? vs. You went to the mall this morning and then, you went straight home?
"go" is right.
3. Third person is doing the moving.
case 1:
Destination: listener's place+listener will be there at the time he arrives.
I talked to him the other day. He says he's coming to see you. vs. He says he's going to see you.
Which one is right? I think "come" is right, provided that the speaker lives in the vicinity of where the listener lives. But what if the listener lives far away from the speaker's house just like the third person?
case 2:
Destination: speaker's place+speaker's will be there at the time he arrives.
He is going to come to my place this afternoon. vs. He is going to go to my place this afternoon.
"come" is right.
case 3:
Destination: listener's place+both the listener and the speaker are there
He's coming over to see your new car. vs. He's going over to see your new car.
"come" is right.
case 4:
Destination: speaker's place+both the speaker and the listener are there.
He's coming to see me. vs. He's going to see me.
"come" is right.
case 5:
Destination: third party's place(both the speaker and the listener aren't there)
He went to Italy for two weeks and went home after that. vs. He came to Italy for two weeks and came home after that.
"go" is right.
4. You(listener) and I(speaker) are doing the moving.
case 1:
Destination: speaker's place
Let's go to my place. vs. Let's come to my place.
"go" is correct.
case 2:
Destination: listener's place
Let's go to your place. vs. Let's come to your place.'
"go" is correct.
case 3:
Destination: third party's place
Let's go to the movies. vs. Let's come to the movies.
"go" is correct.
Ho would you formulate a general rule on this?
I'd like to hear some opinions. Thanks.
I was inspired by PJ's posts on this topic and thought it would be interesting to devise a rule on when to use "come" and when to use "go".
I thought up some possible scenarios.
1. I(speaker) am doing the moving.
case 1:
Destination: listener's place+listener is home right now
Can I come to your house now? vs. Can I go to your house now?
Both are fine.
case 2:
Destination: listener's place+listener is not home, but will have come home by 8:00
I'm going to come to your house at 7:00 and do some laundry vs. I'm going to go to your house at 7:00 and do some laundry.
Which one is right?
case 3:
Destination: third person's place and listener's is not at that place
I'll go to the beach, weather permitting. vs. I'll come to the beach, weather permitting.
"go' is right.
case 4:
Destination: third person's place and listener is at that place.
You are already at his place? I'm going. vs. I'm coming.
The latter seems to be the right choice? Why?
case 5:
Destination: where I am right now (irrespective of where the listener is)
I came home just a few minutes ago. vs. I went home just a few minutes ago.
"come" is right.
2. You(listener) are doing the moving
case 1:
Destination: speaker's place+speaker is home right now.
You want to come over for a cup of coffee. vs. You want to go over for a cup of coffee.
"come" is correct.
case 2:
Destination: speaker's place+speaker's not home, but will be there at the time the listener arrives.
Are you coming for dinner tonight? vs. Are you going for dinner tonight?
"come" is correct.
case 3:
Destination: third person's place+speaker is not at that place.
Are you going to PJ's party this Friday. vs. Are you coming to PJ's party this Friday?
Are both fine?
case 4:
Destination: third person's place+speaker is at that place.
The party has just started. What time are you coming? vs. What time are you going?
"come" is correct.
case 5:
Destination: where the listener is right now.
You went to the mall this morning and then, you came straight home? vs. You went to the mall this morning and then, you went straight home?
"go" is right.
3. Third person is doing the moving.
case 1:
Destination: listener's place+listener will be there at the time he arrives.
I talked to him the other day. He says he's coming to see you. vs. He says he's going to see you.
Which one is right? I think "come" is right, provided that the speaker lives in the vicinity of where the listener lives. But what if the listener lives far away from the speaker's house just like the third person?
case 2:
Destination: speaker's place+speaker's will be there at the time he arrives.
He is going to come to my place this afternoon. vs. He is going to go to my place this afternoon.
"come" is right.
case 3:
Destination: listener's place+both the listener and the speaker are there
He's coming over to see your new car. vs. He's going over to see your new car.
"come" is right.
case 4:
Destination: speaker's place+both the speaker and the listener are there.
He's coming to see me. vs. He's going to see me.
"come" is right.
case 5:
Destination: third party's place(both the speaker and the listener aren't there)
He went to Italy for two weeks and went home after that. vs. He came to Italy for two weeks and came home after that.
"go" is right.
4. You(listener) and I(speaker) are doing the moving.
case 1:
Destination: speaker's place
Let's go to my place. vs. Let's come to my place.
"go" is correct.
case 2:
Destination: listener's place
Let's go to your place. vs. Let's come to your place.'
"go" is correct.
case 3:
Destination: third party's place
Let's go to the movies. vs. Let's come to the movies.
"go" is correct.
Ho would you formulate a general rule on this?
I'd like to hear some opinions. Thanks.
Top answer
1. " provided that the person is not currently at his house. ) 2.
- 1.
- " provided that the person is not currently at his house.
- ) 2.
- The situation here is similar to example 1.
- " 3.
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18 Answers
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1. If the person is at his house, you can't say "Can I go to your house now?" You have to say "Can I come to your house now?"
You can say "Can I go to your house now?" provided that the person is not currently at his house. For example, "Can I go to your house now and fix the faucet like we talked about yesterday?" (The person you're talking to is somewhere other than at his house, sa
You can say "Can I go to your house now?" provided that the person is not currently at his house. For example, "Can I go to your house now and fix the faucet like we talked about yesterday?" (The person you're talking to is somewhere other than at his house, sa
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6. If you're currently at home, and you're talking to someone on the phone, you say: "(Do) You want to come over for a cup of coffee?"
If you're currently at home, and you're talking to someone on the phone, and, say, the two of you sometimes go over to your neighbor's house for coffee, and this is suggested, then you say: "(Do) You want to go over (to your neighbor's house) for a cup
If you're currently at home, and you're talking to someone on the phone, and, say, the two of you sometimes go over to your neighbor's house for coffee, and this is suggested, then you say: "(Do) You want to go over (to your neighbor's house) for a cup
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9. If you're already at the party and you telephone someone, you say: "The party has just started. What time are you coming over?
If you're not already at the party and you telephone someone, you say: "What time are you going over (to the party)?"
However, suppose you're just relaying a message, then you might say: "Bob just called me and said the party has just started and
If you're not already at the party and you telephone someone, you say: "What time are you going over (to the party)?"
However, suppose you're just relaying a message, then you might say: "Bob just called me and said the party has just started and
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11. You would say: "I talked to him the other day. He says he's coming to see you."
Note that "He's going to see you." is more like a colloquial expression, as in: "He's going to go to the movies tonight." or
"He's going to finish that report today." This has nothing to do with distance. "He's going to" means "He will." So you might also say: "I talked to him the other day.
Note that "He's going to see you." is more like a colloquial expression, as in: "He's going to go to the movies tonight." or
"He's going to finish that report today." This has nothing to do with distance. "He's going to" means "He will." So you might also say: "I talked to him the other day.
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16. You would say "Let's go to my place." "Let's come to my place." is ungrammatical.
17. You would say "Let's go to your place." "Let's come to your place." is ungrammatical. However, "Let's come to your place more often." is okay.
18. You would say "Let's go to the movies." "Let's come to the movies." is ungrammatical. However, "Let's come to the movies more often." is
17. You would say "Let's go to your place." "Let's come to your place." is ungrammatical. However, "Let's come to your place more often." is okay.
18. You would say "Let's go to the movies." "Let's come to the movies." is ungrammatical. However, "Let's come to the movies more often." is
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Thank you very much for your help, Anonymous. I really appreciate that.
I have a few more situations. I'd like you to take a look at them.
1.
You're at home. You make a call at the doctor's office. The receptionist asks, " Can you come in tomorrow?" I say, "No, I can't come in. I have to go to work tomorrow." vs. "No, I can't come in. I have to come to work tomor
I have a few more situations. I'd like you to take a look at them.
1.
You're at home. You make a call at the doctor's office. The receptionist asks, " Can you come in tomorrow?" I say, "No, I can't come in. I have to go to work tomorrow." vs. "No, I can't come in. I have to come to work tomor
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6.
ex1) Do you want to come over (to my place) for dinner tonight?
The speaker says "come" regardless of where the speaker is at the time he says this sentence. You can't say "go" in this situation.
ex2) He's going to come/go to my place this afternoon.
The speaker is not at his place at the time he utters this sentence. The same situation as example 1. But t
ex1) Do you want to come over (to my place) for dinner tonight?
The speaker says "come" regardless of where the speaker is at the time he says this sentence. You can't say "go" in this situation.
ex2) He's going to come/go to my place this afternoon.
The speaker is not at his place at the time he utters this sentence. The same situation as example 1. But t
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7.
Jason and John both live in the same state.(California) John is talking to his friend, Bob.
ex1) Jason went to New York City to meet some old friends a week ago. He just came back today. vs. He just went back today.
"come" is correct. Does it matter where Bob is, though?
ex2) Jason lives in California. John lives in Chicago. John is talking to his fri
Jason and John both live in the same state.(California) John is talking to his friend, Bob.
ex1) Jason went to New York City to meet some old friends a week ago. He just came back today. vs. He just went back today.
"come" is correct. Does it matter where Bob is, though?
ex2) Jason lives in California. John lives in Chicago. John is talking to his fri
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8.
ex)
A: I heard he came to your place last night. vs. I heard he went to your place last night. What did you guys do?
B: We watched a video.
A: What time did he go home? vs. What time did he come home?
C: He went home around midnight.
ex)
A: I heard he came to your place last night. vs. I heard he went to your place last night. What did you guys do?
B: We watched a video.
A: What time did he go home? vs. What time did he come home?
C: He went home around midnight.
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Comments on second set of questions:
1. and 2. In both situations you would say "...I have to go to work tomorrow." - in this situation the fact that you made the call from your office doesn't affect the choice of the verb. I see what you're getting at: you're thinking that being at work when you make the call might affect the choice of verb - but not in this situation.
The fo
1. and 2. In both situations you would say "...I have to go to work tomorrow." - in this situation the fact that you made the call from your office doesn't affect the choice of the verb. I see what you're getting at: you're thinking that being at work when you make the call might affect the choice of verb - but not in this situation.
The fo
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