The Phrasal Verb 'Go Ahead' Explained
- Jul 31
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 4
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'go ahead' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native.
The English phrasal verb 'go ahead' is a common phrasal verb that is used to talk about subjects like beginnings, movement and progress. Have you heard it before or is it completely new to you? If it's new for you, do not worry as in this post I will break it down and explain all the different ways that native speakers use it, so that you too can start using it confidently and naturally. Additionally, I will give you lots of example sentences in context, to ensure that you know the type of situations in which we use it. So, let's get started and learn what the phrasal verb 'go ahead' is all about....
QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'go ahead' mean?The phrasal verb 'go ahead' has three main meanings in English:
Keep reading to learn more about each of these.... |
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one)
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THE BASICS
GO AHEAD: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 3 |
Past tense forms | Went ahead / Gone ahead |
Separable? | No |
The phrasal verb 'go ahead' is formed from the verb 'to go' and the prepositional particle 'ahead', so let's first just briefly consider these two words individually and their significance in phrasal verbs.
Go - The verb 'to go' is one of the most common verbs in the English language and has many uses and meanings, with the most common of these being 'to move from one place to another'. Among all of its different meanings, the two that are the most relevant for the phrasal verb 'go ahead' are perhaps 'to proceed' and 'to happen'.
I go to the gym five times a week.
Kate is going to work tomorrow.
We went on holiday to Italy.
The light has changed to green; we are ok to go.
How did the exam go?
It hasn't gone well for Jim since he fired his personal assistance.
A NOTE ABOUT 'TO GO'One other thing to note about the verb 'to go' is that it is highly irregular and has the most irregular past tense form of all English verbs: 'went'. The reason for this is that historically 'went' was the past form of another verb (to wend) which was a synonym of 'to go' and which still exists in English today, although it is quite limited. As English developed, speakers found it easier to say 'went' rather than the original past tense form of 'to go' (ēode) and so over time 'went' became its official past tense. For reference, the past tense of the verb 'to wend' in modern English is 'wended'. |
Ahead - The prepositional particle 'ahead' is one that is seen seldomly in phrasal verbs, especially compared to others like 'in' or 'up'. The general idea of the word 'ahead' is 'in front' and it is used as an adverb to to talk about things physically in front of you as well as temporally (in the future). Moreover, it can also be used to mean 'to make progress', particularly when compared to others, and also to have more points than someone in a competition or game.
As 'ahead' is used less in phrasal verbs than other prepositions, the ideas that it brings to them are fewer and more consistent (so easier to understand). These ideas are linked to its meaning and include planning for the future (think ahead), being in front of others (pull ahead) and forward movement or continuation (press ahead).
So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'go ahead'....
MEANING 1: To start doing something
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To proceed, to start, to begin, to commence |
Separable? | No |
The first meaning of the phrasal verb 'go ahead' is one that you may know already and means 'to start doing something'.
For this first meaning, we are simply taking the idea that we get from the verb 'to go' of proceeding with or beginning something and combining it with 'ahead', which also carries a similar idea of movement and progress.
We tend to use 'go ahead' in this way when talking about starting something that involves some planning beforehand, like a project or a large purchase. Other times, we use it if there is an element of hesitation or resistance before starting something. It is often followed by the words 'and' or 'with'.
After discussing the idea for weeks, we went ahead and started our own business.
Kelly went ahead and applied for the job despite not meeting every requirement.
They went ahead and bought the house before someone else could make an offer.
Bobby went ahead and ordered a new laptop even though it was expensive.
We went ahead with the renovations as soon as we had saved enough money.
The company went ahead with the recruitment process despite the uncertainty.
Suzanne finally went ahead with her plan to study abroad.
Another very important point regarding this first application of 'go ahead' is that it is also regularly used when someone gives another person the permission to do something. When a person in authority tells someone that they are able to start doing something or proceed with it, they often use the imperative form "go ahead!".
"Can I start the presentation now?" "Yes, go ahead."
If everyone is ready, go ahead and begin.
"Would you mind if I opened the window?" "No, go ahead."
"May I ask you a question?" "Of course. Go ahead."
When you're ready, go ahead and press the green button.
You have my approval, so go ahead with the application.
We've finished discussing it, so go ahead with the changes.
MEANING 2: To happen (event)
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To proceed, to start, to happen, to take place |
Separable? | No |
The second of our meanings of the phrasal verb 'go ahead' is a logical progression from the first one and means 'to happen'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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The verb 'to happen' has quite a broad meaning, so let me first clarify here that we use this application of 'go ahead' to refer to events for people to attend that are planned or scheduled, ranging from meetings and lessons in professional English to festivals, concerts and parties.
Normally, we use 'go ahead' when there has been some doubt surrounding the event beforehand and there was a possibility of it being cancelled or postponed, however in the end it happened as planned. Due to the nature of when we use this application, it is often used with words like 'despite', 'nevertheless' and 'nonetheless'.
The football match went ahead despite the heavy rain.
Our meeting with the client went ahead even though several people were absent.
There were concerns about the weather. Nevertheless, the concert went ahead as planned.
Their wedding will go ahead despite the transport strike.
The annual conference will go ahead next month regardless.
After a period of uncertainty, the race went ahead after officials inspected the course.
The ceremony went ahead without any major problems.
Although there were safety concerns, the festival went ahead.
MEANING 3: To start a journey before others
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To press on ahead |
Separable? | No |
The third and final application of the phrasal verb 'go ahead' is used to mean 'to start a journey before others'.
We use this one to talk about situations in which there is a group of people who are all going to the same destination and some of them start the journey to the destination before the rest of the group.
For example, if a group of people are going for a walk, the majority of the group might go ahead (start the walk) while the owner of the house locks the door and makes sure it is secure. He or she will then catch the others up once this is done. Alternatively, if a group of friends go camping together, some of the group may 'go ahead' in order to arrive at the campsite before the others so that they can set up the tent for when the others arrive.
We were running late, so Sarah went ahead while the rest of us finished packing the car.
You go ahead, and we'll catch up with you once we've paid the bill.
Since he knew the route, Tom went ahead to reserve a campsite for everyone.
The guide went ahead to check that the mountain path was safe.
We told the children to go ahead while we locked the house.
Anna went ahead on her bike because she was much faster than the rest of us.
My parents went ahead to the hotel, and we followed a couple of hours later.
The hikers split up for a while, and two of them went ahead to find a suitable place for lunch.
I stated in the table above that this application is not separable. While this is true and you cannot insert a direct object between 'go' and 'ahead', we CAN insert the additional preposition 'on' between them, giving us the variation 'to go on ahead'.
The variation 'go on ahead' means exactly the same as 'go ahead' and I would say that it is used just as frequently by native speakers.
Go on ahead. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes.
You two go on ahead, and we'll meet you at the entrance.
It was getting dark, so the guide told the fastest walkers to go on ahead.
Don't wait for me; go on ahead and I'll join you when I'm ready.
My mum went on ahead to find us a table at the restaurant.
The children went on ahead while their parents walked more slowly behind them.
We went on ahead to the hotel so we could check in before the others arrived.
He went on ahead to make sure the road was clear.
BONUS: The noun & adjective 'go-ahead'
Hopefully, you can now understand the meanings and uses of the phrasal verb 'go ahead' and so let's now end the post with the noun and adjective 'go-ahead', which are both derived from the phrasal verb.
The noun 'go-ahead' is linked to the first application that we looked at in this post and means 'permission'. Typically, we talk about managers and people in authority "giving the go-ahead" for something and for others to "get the go-ahead" to do something when they receive the permission.
We finally received the go-ahead to start construction.
The project can't begin until we get the go-ahead from the council.
The manager gave us the go-ahead to hire two new employees.
As soon as we get the go-ahead, we'll place the order.
We are waiting for the go-ahead to begin.
Less commonly, we can also use 'go-ahead' as an adjective to describe a person, organisation or business that is ambitious, progressive and forward thinking. For example, an employee in a company who has a lot of ambition to progress and build his or her career could be described as 'go-ahead'. Likewise, if a business is open to change and to trying new things and is very progressive, it could also be described as 'go-ahead'. This adjectival usage is more common in British English than North American English. Despite this, it is quite a rare usage that I do not often hear in my day-to-day life.
Joanne is a go-ahead manager who is always looking for ways to improve the business.
We need go-ahead leaders who aren't afraid to challenge old ways of thinking.
The university is one of the most go-ahead institutions in the country.
The organisation has a go-ahead approach to environmental sustainability.
We have now reached the end of this post and I hope that you have found it useful and that it has helped you to understand how to use the phrasal verb 'go ahead' more confidently and naturally.
Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'go ahead' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media.
Do you want to improve your phrasal verb skills?Now that you have read the article, I hope you've learned something new. However, reading is only the first step to mastering phrasal verbs: the key is practice and repetition. That's why I've created a series of PDF workbooks with clear explanations, natural example sentences, exercises, speaking questions and answer keys. This will help you understand and remember common English phrasal verbs and use them confidently in real-life situations. Browse the workbooks here and start improving your phrasal verbs skills today.... |
Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊
THE END
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