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Nokia Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

so he goes...

This is from an online dictionary:


"I never http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/want to http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/see you http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ever again," he goes, and http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/storm_1 out the http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/house.

So "go" means "say" here, especially when a story is being told.

How about past tense? Is this reported speech?


so A goes: "...."
then B goes: "...."

can we change to:

so A went:"..."
then B went: "...."

similarly:

so A mentioned:"...."
then B mentioned:"...."


Thanks.
  

Top answer

Yes, I find it fascinating—having heard it and now looked it up under quotatives. It has been around for a century or more. I can see it when imitating animals: My dog has strange bark.

— Wilpeter

  • Yes, I find it fascinating—having heard it and now looked it up under quotatives.
  • It has been around for a century or more.
  • I can see it when imitating animals: My dog has strange bark.
  • ” The cow was obviously content.
  • ” Then with people: I tried to get her attention and went, “Pssst.
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3 Answers
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Yes, I find it fascinating—having heard it and now looked it up under quotatives. It has been around for a century or more. I can see it when imitating animals:
My dog has strange bark. He goes, “grrrruff ruff ruff.”
The cow was obviously content. It went, “moo.”

Then with people: I tried to get her attention and went, “Pssst. Over here!”
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Broadly speaking, using 'he goes' in this way is common in some people's casual speech. But it's not something you should say in eg a job interview where you want to speak 'educated English'.

Clive
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