Go vs. Come – English Grammar Exercises for A1

1 (b) going

• Why it is correct: The speaker is leaving their current location to travel somewhere else. We use “going” with the present continuous (am + verb-ing) for an action happening now or a fixed future plan.
• Error Analysis: (a) “to go” is a structural error (am + to go). (c) “go” is a common mistake (missing the -ing form after the ‘be’ verb). (d) “coming” is a strong meaning trap (you do not “come” away from your current city to a distant place; “come” means moving towards the listener).

2 (c) am going

• Why it is correct: Needs the full present continuous structure (“am” + “going”) to show a planned journey.
• Error Analysis: (a) “am coming” is a meaning trap. (b) “go” is a common mistake (lacks the ‘be’ verb for the present continuous). (d) “am go” is a structural error.

3 (d) going

• Why it is correct: Indicates movement away from the current city (New York) to a new destination (Paris).
• Error Analysis: (a) “going to” is a structural error because the preposition “to” is already in the sentence (…to Paris). (b) “coming” is a meaning trap. (c) “go” is a common mistake.

4 (a) going

• Why it is correct: Present continuous (-ing) is required after “I am”.
• Error Analysis: (b) “am go” is a structural error (double “am”). (c) “go” is a common mistake. (d) “coming” is a meaning trap.

5 (b) going

• Why it is correct: Asks about the destination the speaker is traveling to.
• Error Analysis: (a) “coming” is a meaning trap. (c) “to go” is a structural error. (d) “go” is a common mistake.

6 (c) going

• Why it is correct: “My family and I are” requires the present participle (-ing).
• Error Analysis: (a) “go” is a common mistake. (b) “is going” is a structural error (wrong subject-verb agreement for a plural subject). (d) “coming” is a meaning trap.

7 (a) going

• Why it is correct: Moving away from their current spot to the gate.
• Error Analysis: (b) “going to” creates a structural error (going to to the gate). (c) “coming” is a meaning trap. (d) “go” is a common mistake.

8 (c) going

• Why it is correct: Shows travel away from the speaker’s home to an island.
• Error Analysis: (a) “goes” is a structural error (wrong verb form after “am”). (b) “coming” is a meaning trap. (d) “go” is a common mistake.

9 (a) going

• Why it is correct: Describes the brother’s movement away to another country.
• Error Analysis: (b) “go” is a common mistake. (c) “goes” is a structural error. (d) “coming” is a meaning trap.

10 (b) going

• Why it is correct: Contrasts the listener staying behind while the speaker travels away.
• Error Analysis: (a) “go” is a common mistake. (c) “coming” is a meaning trap. (d) “am go” is a structural error.

11 (d) going

• Why it is correct: Required to express leaving for a new country.
• Error Analysis: (a) “coming” is a meaning trap. (b) “to go” is a structural error. (c) “go” is a common mistake.

12 (a) going

• Why it is correct: We use the collocation “going on a trip”.
• Error Analysis: (b) “coming” is a meaning trap. (c) “going to” is a structural error (you don’t say “going to on a trip”). (d) “go” is a common mistake.

13 (d) going

• Why it is correct: “Going away” means leaving your home for a period of time.
• Error Analysis: (a) “gone” is a structural error. (b) “go” is a common mistake. (c) “coming” is a meaning trap (“coming away” makes no sense here).

14 (a) going

• Why it is correct: Leaving the cold city for a distant sunny destination.
• Error Analysis: (b) “go” is a common mistake. (c) “coming” is a meaning trap. (d) “going to” is a structural error (creates double “to”).

15 (b) going

• Why it is correct: Indicates long-distance travel away from the speaker’s plants/home.
• Error Analysis: (a) “coming” is a meaning trap. (c) “to go” is a structural error. (d) “go” is a common mistake.

16 (c) going

• Why it is correct: Used in the “be going to + verb” structure for future plans (We are going to take).
• Error Analysis: (a) “go” is a common mistake. (b) “going to” is a structural error because “to” is already in the sentence (…to take). (d) “coming” is a meaning trap.

17 (d) going

• Why it is correct: Indicates movement far away from the origin point.
• Error Analysis: (a) “to go” is a structural error. (b) “go” is a common mistake. (c) “coming” is a meaning trap (you cannot “come far away from home” when announcing your departure).

18 (a) going

• Why it is correct: Plural subject “We are” + “going” to a distant country.
• Error Analysis: (b) “are go” is a structural error. (c) “go” is a common mistake. (d) “coming” is a meaning trap.

19 (c) going

• Why it is correct: “Abroad” is an adverb of place, meaning to travel to a foreign country.
• Error Analysis: (a) “going to” is a strong structural trap (we never say “going to abroad”). (b) “coming” is a meaning trap. (d) “go” is a common mistake.

20 (d) going

• Why it is correct: Completes the “am going to leave” structure, indicating a firm plan.
• Error Analysis: (a) “go” is a common mistake. (b) “am going” is a structural error (repeats the word “am”). (c) “coming” is a meaning trap.

• Go vs. Come: Use “Go” when you are talking about movement away from your current location to a different place. Because the person in the photos is at the airport leaving their city, they must use “go”. Use “Come” only when talking about movement towards the speaker or the listener.
• Present Continuous for Travel: At the A1 level, when you are at the airport with your ticket, the action is 100% planned and happening soon. We use the Present Continuous tense: Subject + am/is/are + going + to + [Destination]. (Example: I am going to Paris).
• Going Abroad: The word “abroad” (to another country) is an adverb, not a noun. Therefore, you do not use the preposition “to” before it. (Correct: I am going abroad. / Incorrect: I am going to abroad).