ENGLISH
REFERENCE

go through

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to experience a difficult or unpleasant situation; you can also use this when you check something carefully.

phr. v.. to experience or endure a difficult period; also functions as a transitive verb meaning to examine a collection of items or a document in detail.


SIMPLE

She is going through a hard time at work.

CONTEXTUAL

We need to go through these files to find the missing contract before the meeting starts.

COMPLEX

The nation is going through a period of profound economic transformation that requires significant social adjustment.

Particles
through
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
go + through + object
Usage

when meaning 'experience', the object is usually a negative or challenging event.

Teaching tip

distinguish between the 'experience' sense (inseparable) and the 'examine' sense; both are common, but the 'experience' sense is more idiomatic for B1 learners.

Pitfall

He went through a great success.He had a great success.'go through' is almost exclusively used for negative or difficult experiences, not positive ones.

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