I. MOVING OR LEAVING
(~es, ~ing, went, ~ne)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: In most cases the past participle of '~' is '~ne', but occasionally you use ‘been’: see 'been'.
1.
When you ~ somewhere, you move or travel there.
We went to Rome...
Gladys had just ~ne into the kitchen...
I went home at the weekend...
It took us an hour to ~ three miles.
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V amount
2.
When you ~, you leave the place where you are.
Let’s ~...
She’s ~ing tomorrow.
VERB: V, V
3.
You use ~ to say that someone leaves the place where they are and does an activity, often a leisure activity.
We went swimming very early...
Maybe they’ve just ~ne shopping...
He went for a walk.
VERB: V -ing, V -ing, V for n
4.
When you ~ to do something, you move to a place in order to do it and you do it. You can also ~ and do something, and in American English, you can ~ do something. However, you always say that someone went and did something.
His second son, Paddy, had ~ne to live in Canada...
I must ~ and see this film...
Go ask whoever you want.
VERB: V to-inf, V and v, V inf
5.
If you ~ to school, work, or church, you attend it regularly as part of your normal life.
She will have to ~ to school...
His son went to a top university in America.
VERB: V to n, V to n
6.
When you say where a road or path ~es, you are saying where it begins or ends, or what places it is in.
There’s a mountain road that ~es from Blairstown to Millbrook Village.
= lead
VERB: V prep/adv
7.
You can use ~ in expressions such as ‘don’t ~ telling everybody’, in order to express disapproval of the kind of behaviour you mention, or to tell someone not to behave in that way.
You don’t have to ~ running upstairs every time she rings...
Don’t you ~ thinking it was your fault.
VERB: with brd-neg, V -ing, V -ing
8.
You can use ~ with words like ‘further’ and ‘beyond’ to show the degree or extent of something.
He went even further in his speech to the conference...
Some physicists have ~ne so far as to suggest that the entire Universe is a sort of gigantic computer.
VERB: V adv/prep, V adv/prep
9.
If you say that a period of time ~es quickly or slowly, you mean that it seems to pass quickly or slowly.
The weeks ~ so quickly!
= pass
VERB: V adv
10.
If you say where money ~es, you are saying what it is spent on.
Most of my money ~es on bills...
The money ~es to projects chosen by the wider community.
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv
11.
If you say that something ~es to someone, you mean that it is given to them.
A lot of credit must ~ to the chairman and his father...
The job went to Yuri Skokov, a capable administrator.
VERB: V to n, V to n
12.
If someone ~es on television or radio, they take part in a television or radio programme.
The Turkish president has ~ne on television to defend stringent new security measures...
We went on the air, live, at 7.30.
VERB: V on n, V on n
13.
If something ~es, someone gets rid of it.
The Institute of Export now fears that 100,000 jobs will ~...
If people stand firm against the tax, it is only a matter of time before it has to ~.
VERB: V, V
14.
If someone ~es, they leave their job, usually because they are forced to.
He had made a humiliating tactical error and he had to ~.
VERB: V
15.
If something ~es into something else, it is put in it as one of the parts or elements that form it.
...the really interesting ingredients that ~ into the dishes that we all love to eat.
VERB: V into/in n
16.
If something ~es in a particular place, it fits in that place or should be put there because it is the right size or shape.
He was trying to push it through the hole and it wouldn’t ~.
...This knob ~es here.
VERB: V, V prep/adv
17.
If something ~es in a particular place, it belongs there or should be put there, because that is where you normally keep it.
The shoes ~ on the shoe shelf...
‘Where does everything ~?’
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv
18.
If you say that one number ~es into another number a particular number of times, you are dividing the second number by the first.
Six ~es into thirty five times.
VERB: V into num
19.
If one of a person’s senses, such as their sight or hearing, is ~ing, it is getting weak and they may soon lose it completely. (INFORMAL)
His eyes are ~ing; he says he has glaucoma...
Lately he’d been making mistakes; his nerve was beginning to ~.
= fail
VERB: V, V
20.
If something such as a light bulb or a part of an engine is ~ing, it is no longer working properly and will soon need to be replaced.
I thought it looked as though the battery was ~ing.
VERB: V
II. LINK VERB USES
(~es, ~ing, went, ~ne)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You can use ~ to say that a person or thing changes to another state or condition. For example, if someone ~es crazy, they become crazy, and if something ~es green, it changes colour and becomes green.
I’m ~ing bald...
You’d better serve it to them before it ~es cold...
50,000 companies have ~ne out of business.
V-LINK: V adj, V adj, V prep
2.
You can use ~ when indicating whether or not someone wears or has something. For example, if someone ~es barefoot, they do not wear any shoes.
The baby went naked on the beach...
But if you arm the police won’t more criminals ~ armed?
V-LINK: V adj, V adj
3.
You can use ~ before adjectives beginning with ‘un-’ to say that something does not happen. For example, if something ~es unheard, nobody hears it.
As President, he affirmed that no tyranny went unnoticed.
V-LINK: V -ed
III. OTHER VERB USES, NOUN USES, AND PHRASES
(~es, ~ing, went, ~ne)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You use ~ to talk about the way something happens. For example, if an event or situation ~es well, it is successful.
She says everything is ~ing smoothly...
How did it ~ at the hairdresser’s?
VERB: V adv, V adv
2.
If a machine or device is ~ing, it is working.
What about my copier? Can you get it ~ing again?...
I said, ‘My car won’t ~ in fog’.
VERB: V, V
3.
If a bell ~es, it makes a noise, usually as a signal for you to do something.
The bell went for the break.
VERB: V
4.
If something ~es with something else, or if two things ~ together, they look or taste nice together.
I was searching for a pair of grey gloves to ~ with my new ~wn...
I can see that some colours ~ together and some don’t...
Wear something else. This won’t ~.
V-RECIP: V with n, pl-n V together , V (non-recip)
5.
You use ~ to introduce something you are quoting. For example, you say the story ~es or the argument ~es just before you quote all or part of it.
The story ~es that she went home with him that night...
The story ~es like this...
As the saying ~es, ‘There’s no smoke without fire.’
VERB: V that, V prep, V with quote
6.
You use ~ when indicating that something makes or produces a sound. For example, if you say that something ~es ‘bang’, you mean it produces the sound ‘bang’.
She stopped in front of a painting of a dog and she started ~ing ‘woof woof’...
The button on his jeans went POP.
VERB: V with sound, V with sound
7.
You can use ~ instead of ‘say’ when you are quoting what someone has said or what you think they will say. (INFORMAL)
They say ‘Tom, shut up’ and I ~ ‘No, you shut up’...
He ~es to me: ‘Oh, what do you want?’
VERB: V with quote, V to n with quote
8.
A ~ is an attempt at doing something.
I always wanted to have a ~ at football...
She won on her first ~...
Her hair was bright orange. It took us two ~es to get the colour right.
N-COUNT: oft N at n/-ing
9.
If it is your ~ in a game, it is your turn to do something, for example to play a card or move a piece.
I’m two behind you but it’s your ~...
Now whose ~ is it?
= turn
N-COUNT: poss N
10.
see also ~ing , ~ne
11.
If you ~ all out to do something or ~ all out for something, you make the greatest possible effort to do it or get it. (INFORMAL)
They will ~ all out to get exactly what they want...
They’re ready to ~ all out for the Premier League title next season.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR to-inf, PHR for n
12.
You use expressions like as things ~ or as children ~ when you are describing one person or thing and comparing them with others of the same kind. (INFORMAL)
This is a straightforward case, as these things ~...
He’s ~od company, as small boys ~.
PHRASE: PHR with cl
13.
If you do something as you ~ along, you do it while you are doing another thing, without preparing it beforehand.
Learning how to become a parent takes time. It’s a skill you learn as you ~ along.
PHRASE: PHR after v
14.
If you say that someone has ~ne and done something, you are expressing your annoyance at the foolish thing they have done. (INFORMAL)
Well, he’s ~ne and done it again, hasn’t he?...
Somebody ~es and does something mindless like that and just destroys everything for you.
PHRASE: Vs inflect disapproval
15.
You say ‘Go for it’ to encourage someone to increase their efforts to achieve or win something. (INFORMAL)
CONVENTION
16.
If someone has a ~ at you, they criticize you, often in a way that you feel is unfair. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
Some people had a ~ at us for it, which made us more angry.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
17.
If someone says ‘Where do we ~ from here?’ they are asking what should be done next, usually because a problem has not been solved in a satisfactory way.
CONVENTION
18.
If you say that someone is making a ~ of something such as a business or relationship, you mean that they are having some success with it.
I knew we could make a ~ of it and be happy.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
19.
If you say that someone is always on the ~, you mean that they are always busy and active. (INFORMAL)
I ~t a new job this year where I am on the ~ all the time.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, PHR after v
20.
If you have something on the ~, you have started it and are busy doing it.
Do you like to have many projects on the ~ at any one time?
PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR after v
21.
If you say that there are a particular number of things to ~, you mean that they still remain to be dealt with.
I still had another five operations to ~.
PHRASE: amount PHR
22.
If you say that there is a certain amount of time to ~, you mean that there is that amount of time left before something happens or ends.
There is a week to ~ until the elections.
PHRASE: amount PHR, oft PHR prep
23.
If you are in a cafe or restaurant and ask for an item of food to ~, you mean that you want to take it away with you and not eat it there. (mainly AM; in BRIT, use to take out , to take away )
Large fries to ~.
PHRASE: n PHR