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go to bed — sleep

collocationB1IELTS 4+neutralcore

to get into bed in order to sleep, usually at night.

Say it like a native

Textbook I shall retire to bed now.

Native I'm going to bed.

'Go to bed' is the everyday phrase; 'retire to bed' is dated/very formal.

Pattern: go to bed

In use

  • I usually go to bed around eleven o’clock on weekdays.daily life
  • If I have an early class, I try to go to bed before 10 p.m. so I feel rested the next day.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ I go to the bed at 11.

✓ I go to bed at 11.

No 'the' — 'go to bed' is a fixed phrase (like 'go to school', 'go to work').

Common collocations

  • go to bed — early, late, at 11, straight

Don't confuse it

Do not confuse with 'go to sleep', which means actually falling asleep, not just getting into bed.

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