Phrasal Verb: Go through

This is a phrasal verb. It uses a verb go and a particle through. In this case, they are inseparable. This means you cannot put words between them. You cannot say go the book through. That sounds very strange to us! You must keep go and through side by side. The verb go changes with the time. You use go for now. You use went for the past. You use going for things happening now. The word through never changes. It is the steady partner in this relationship. It is like a grammar traffic light. It tells the listener exactly what is happening.

1. 1Using this phrase is quite simple. Just follow these three easy steps:
2. 2Start with your subject like I, You, or The teacher.
3. 3Add the correct form of go and the word through.
4. 4Finish with the object you are checking or experiencing.
5. 5For example: I (subject) + go through (verb) + my emails (object). If you are talking about yesterday, say I went through my emails. If it is happening right now, say I am going through my emails. It is like building with Lego blocks. You just snap the pieces together in order. Even native speakers mess this up sometimes, so do not worry!

Use this when you are looking for something. Imagine you lost your passport at the airport. You look in every pocket of your bag. You go through your bag. Use it when you are checking a list. Maybe you are at the grocery store. You check every item on your paper. You go through the list. Use it for hard times too. If you have a very busy week, you go through a tough time. It shows you are moving from the start to the end. It is great for job interviews too. You can say, I want to go through my experience with you. It sounds professional and organized.

Do not use this for simple physical movement. If you walk into a room, do not say I go through the room. Just say I enter the room. Go through implies a process or a search. Do not use it for eating food. You do not go through a pizza. You just eat it! Unless, of course, you are searching the pizza for hidden gold. That would be a very strange pizza party. Also, do not use it for quick glances. If you look at a photo for one second, you do not go through it. You only go through things that take time and effort.

Many people try to split the words. They say I go my pockets through. This is a big no-no! Keep them together like glue. Another mistake is forgetting the past tense. Remember that go is irregular. The past is went, not goed. If you say I goed through the mail, people will understand you. But it will sound a bit like a small child talking. Also, watch your prepositions. Do not say go across when you mean go through. Go through means you are looking inside something. It is about the details, not just the direction.

How is go through different from look at? Look at is very simple. You see a cat. You look at the cat. Go through is much deeper. If you go through a book, you read every page. You check for mistakes. It is much more active. How about experience? You can say I experienced a problem. This is very formal. I went through a problem is more natural. It sounds like you are telling a story to a friend. It feels more personal and warm. Use go through when you want to sound like a real person, not a robot.