go on — happen
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
To take place or occur, especially when something is surprising or unknown.
Say it like a native
Textbook What is currently occurring here?
Native What's going on here?
'What's going on?' is the natural way to ask what's happening. 'What is occurring' sounds like a police report.
Pattern: go on
In use
- There was a lot of noise outside, and I wondered what was going on.daily life
- When I arrived at the meeting, I didn't understand what was going on at first because everyone was talking at once.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ What's going on happening?
✓ What's going on?
'Go on' already means 'happen' — adding 'happening' is redundant.
Common collocations
go on— what's, something, a lot, what on earth
Don't confuse it
This sense is about events happening, not about continuing an action.
Related
- go on (continue) — Another meaning of 'go on' is 'continue'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.