Phrasal verb
go on to do sth
Definition
phrasal verb. to do something else after you have finished a previous task or stage.
phrasal verb. to proceed to a subsequent action or stage after the completion of a prior one; often used to describe a progression in a career or narrative.
Examples
“After university, she went on to become a doctor.”
“The director thanked the cast and then went on to announce the winner of the award.”
“Although the initial experiment failed, the team went on to discover a revolutionary new material that changed the industry forever.”
Examples
simple
“After university, she went on to become a doctor.”
contextual
“The director thanked the cast and then went on to announce the winner of the award.”
complex
“Although the initial experiment failed, the team went on to discover a revolutionary new material that changed the industry forever.”
Usage
followed by an infinitive ('to do'); do not confuse with 'go on doing', which means to continue the same action.
Teaching tip
this is a crucial 'verb pattern' distinction: 'go on to do' (next step) vs 'go on doing' (continue current step); use a timeline on the board to show the sequence of events.
Pitfall
He went on to talking about his trip.
He went on to talk about his trip.
this specific meaning of 'moving to a new task' requires the infinitive 'to talk', not the gerund 'talking'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
go + on + to + infinitive