go back — 2 meanings

One phrase, 2 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb2 meanings

1 returnTo return to a place where you were before.
2 have existed sinceTo have existed or started at a particular time in the past.

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return

B1go back to [place)Most common

To return to a place where you were before.

I have to go back to the office because I forgot my laptop.

A: Are you leaving already?
B: Yeah, but I’ll go back later to pick up my bag.

If I could travel anywhere, I would go back to Japan because I really enjoyed my time there.

Common mistake

✗I want to go back to home.

✓I want to go back home.

No 'to' before 'home' — 'go back home', but 'go back TO the office'.

Tell it apart

I'll go back tomorrow.

return

This tradition goes back centuries.

dates from

Use 'go back' when you leave a place and then return there later.'Go back' is used when you are not at the place now; 'come back' is used when you are at the place or talking from that place.

Often paired with

go back + to/place

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have existed since

B2go back to [time)

To have existed or started at a particular time in the past.

This tradition goes back to the 18th century.

A: How old is this building?
B: It goes back to the 1920s.

The use of computers in education goes back several decades, but it has become much more common recently.

Common mistake

✗We go back since school.

✓We go back to our school days. / We go way back.

Use 'go back TO + time', or the set phrase 'go way back' (= known each other a long time).

Tell it apart

Their feud goes back decades.

has existed since

I need to go back home.

return

Use 'go back' to talk about when something began or first appeared.This sense is about time, not movement.

Often paired with

go back + to

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return have existed since