Phrasal verb
be going on
Definition
phrasal verb. to happen or take place; you use this to talk about events or activities that are currently occurring.
phrasal verb. to occur or happen; often used in the progressive aspect to describe ongoing events or to inquire about a situation.
Examples
“There is a lot of noise going on next door.”
“I walked into the office and immediately felt that something strange was going on between the managers.”
“While the public focused on the election, several significant legislative changes were going on behind the scenes without much media coverage.”
Examples
simple
“There is a lot of noise going on next door.”
contextual
“I walked into the office and immediately felt that something strange was going on between the managers.”
complex
“While the public focused on the election, several significant legislative changes were going on behind the scenes without much media coverage.”
Usage
almost always used in the continuous form ('going on') to describe current events.
Teaching tip
this is a high-frequency alternative to 'happen'; use the question 'What's going on?' to teach it as a natural social inquiry.
Pitfall
What is go on here?
What is going on here?
the phrase usually requires the present participle '-ing' form when describing an active, current situation.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
be + going + on
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/be-going-on