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Anonymous Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
how to go to somewhere
Hello Teachers
The below is a QA I found in a Japanese site for English learners.
Q: I was told that "Do you know how to go to the airport ?" is wrong. But I couldn't understand why it is wrong.
A: It should be "Do you know how to get to the airport?". "To get to the airport" implies "to reach the airport with making some effort", while "to go to the airport" means "to reach the airport naturally without making any effort". It is usual we need some effort to reach a certain place such as an airport, so it should be "how to get to the airport" rather than "how to go to the airport".
Now, my question. I know we have to say "Do you know how to get to the airport ?", but do you agree to the explanation by the answerer above?
paco
The below is a QA I found in a Japanese site for English learners.
Q: I was told that "Do you know how to go to the airport ?" is wrong. But I couldn't understand why it is wrong.
A: It should be "Do you know how to get to the airport?". "To get to the airport" implies "to reach the airport with making some effort", while "to go to the airport" means "to reach the airport naturally without making any effort". It is usual we need some effort to reach a certain place such as an airport, so it should be "how to get to the airport" rather than "how to go to the airport".
Now, my question. I know we have to say "Do you know how to get to the airport ?", but do you agree to the explanation by the answerer above?
paco
Top answer
Hello Paco 1. Do you know how to go to the airport? I don't agree that "go" is "wrong"; but it is much less idiomatic than "get".
- Hello Paco 1.
- Do you know how to go to the airport?
- I don't agree that "go" is "wrong"; but it is much less idiomatic than "get".
- The "effort" explanation seems strained.
- I would say, rather, that "get" lets the listener know that you intend to travel to the airport; whereas "go" might conceivably be taken for a general enquiry.
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15 Answers
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Hello Paco
1. Do you know how to go to the airport?
I don't agree that "go" is "wrong"; but it is much less idiomatic than "get".
The "effort" explanation seems strained. I would say, rather, that "get" lets the listener know that you intend to travel to the airport; whereas "go" might conceivably be taken for a general enquiry.
Which site does it come from, ou
1. Do you know how to go to the airport?
I don't agree that "go" is "wrong"; but it is much less idiomatic than "get".
The "effort" explanation seems strained. I would say, rather, that "get" lets the listener know that you intend to travel to the airport; whereas "go" might conceivably be taken for a general enquiry.
Which site does it come from, ou
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Hello MrP
Thank you for the quick answer. The site is [url=http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~hippo/Q&A100-120.htm]here[/url], but it is written in Japanese. What I wrote in my previous message is my humble translation. I guess the author of the Japanese page is an English teacher at a high school in Ja
Thank you for the quick answer. The site is [url=http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~hippo/Q&A100-120.htm]here[/url], but it is written in Japanese. What I wrote in my previous message is my humble translation. I guess the author of the Japanese page is an English teacher at a high school in Ja
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Oh, sorry, that's different, if it's a translation! I'll get down off my high horse.
The writer's reasoning is very strange, though. We can say "I go to France every year on holiday"; and that involves some effort.
MrP
The writer's reasoning is very strange, though. We can say "I go to France every year on holiday"; and that involves some effort.
MrP
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Paco, I was writing this concurrent with MrP, but somehow it got attached to a deleted version of your post:
I don't think I see or hear much difference between the two phrases. The explanation of effort seems far-fetched to me; it takes effort both to go and to get.
If you don't know how to go/get there, yo
I don't think I see or hear much difference between the two phrases. The explanation of effort seems far-fetched to me; it takes effort both to go and to get.
If you don't know how to go/get there, yo
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Hello Davkett
Thank you for the reply. First of all I have to apologize for duplicating my question. Some native speaker told me that he uses "how to get" for inquiring about routes and "how to go" rather for inquiring about transportation means. But reading your answer, I feel you use them almost interchangeably. Anyway I got that the explanation given by the Japanese anwerer is not appr
Thank you for the reply. First of all I have to apologize for duplicating my question. Some native speaker told me that he uses "how to get" for inquiring about routes and "how to go" rather for inquiring about transportation means. But reading your answer, I feel you use them almost interchangeably. Anyway I got that the explanation given by the Japanese anwerer is not appr
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For some reason I cannot completely explain, except to say "It's idiomatic", the "you" in "How do you go to ..." is a personal "you", while the "you" in "How do you get to ..." is an impersonal "you".
That is, when I ask how you go somewhere, I expect you to tell me how you yourself actually go there: by car, by truck, happily, sadly, by a roundabout route, directly,
That is, when I ask how you go somewhere, I expect you to tell me how you yourself actually go there: by car, by truck, happily, sadly, by a roundabout route, directly,
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Hello CJ
Your discussion is very interesting and seems very reasonable. Though I am a mere learner, I too can feel the difference between two "you"s in the phrases "How do you go there?" and "How do you get there?". And I agree also that "get" in that usage means "manage to reach" and we cannot go to a place if we don’t know how to get there. The problem comes from that we Japanese always
Your discussion is very interesting and seems very reasonable. Though I am a mere learner, I too can feel the difference between two "you"s in the phrases "How do you go there?" and "How do you get there?". And I agree also that "get" in that usage means "manage to reach" and we cannot go to a place if we don’t know how to get there. The problem comes from that we Japanese always
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MrPedantic I'll get down off my high horse.what does that mean?
MrP
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"Getting somewhere" is "successfully delivering yourself there" - CJ
This comment by CJ rings very true to me. 'Getting there' represents the successful accomplishment of 'going there'.
This comment by CJ rings very true to me. 'Getting there' represents the successful accomplishment of 'going there'.
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