Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Pedants' corner

coming or going? Another question for you all.

9 replies

tanukiton · 04/06/2015 06:51

  1. Would you like to go to the salsa party? (over there)
  2. Would you like to come to the salsa party? (near me)
  3. No, I have to go to a farewell do. (over there )
  4. No, I have to come to a farewell do. (impossible)

Is 4 impossible? It doesn't feel right.

OP posts:
EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 04/06/2015 06:59

4 is wrong. 2 is inviting the person to come (with you) hence why come works.

MrsHathaway · 04/06/2015 07:41

You could possibly have "I have to come to work (where I currently am)".

tanukiton · 04/06/2015 22:29

Ehric, so in your opinion, 2. is working as a 'come with you' rather than a 'come near me' hence why 4 is impossible.

OP posts:
MrsHathaway · 04/06/2015 23:37

4 is impossible the way you've said it, but "No, I have to come..." isn't impossible in the right conditions.

"No, I have to come back [here] to work/babysit."

tanukiton · 05/06/2015 03:29

Mrs H, doesn't the 'back' make 'come' a phrasal verb for 'return'?

OP posts:
MyFriendsCallMeOh · 05/06/2015 03:45

Change the object to number 4 and it works eg. I have to come to work (every day / to feed my kids etc.). There is an implication of frequency, time or justification somehow that makes the present tense work.

kickassangel · 05/06/2015 04:01

4 depends where you are standing. Eg if you're at work, and there will be a farewell party there after hours, it would work. (Aptly, I have just come home from a farewell party).

Come is an inward movement toward here, go is an outward movement towards there.like bring and take.

MrsHathaway · 05/06/2015 07:33

Yes, OP, but it could be omitted.

No, I have to come to work [which is where I currently am].

No, I have to come and help my mum [who will be where I am at the moment].

From a semantic point of view, come and go have the same meaning except from the direction marker. See also bring and take.

MrsHathaway · 05/06/2015 07:33

Except for.

I need more sleep.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page