ENGLISH
REFERENCE

go down to

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. to travel to a place, especially one that is further south or in a smaller town.

phr. v.. to travel to a specific destination, typically one perceived as being at a lower latitude, a lower altitude, or of lesser importance/size than the point of origin.


SIMPLE

We are going down to the beach for the day.

CONTEXTUAL

Every summer, they go down to Cornwall to visit their grandparents in the countryside.

COMPLEX

The family decided to go down to the coastal cottage to escape the oppressive heat of the city during the peak of August.

Particles
down to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
go + down + to + object
Usage

often used when the destination is south of the speaker's current location.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'go up to' (used for northern or larger city destinations); explain that 'down' often implies a move from a major city to a smaller town or the coast.

Pitfall

I go down to London from Scotland.I go down to London from Manchester.usually 'go down' implies moving south; from Scotland to London, one would typically 'go down', but from a southern point to a northern one, 'go up' is used.

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