"Come vs. Go": The Day Sara Learned the Secret to Never Mixing Them Up Again

Sara stood frozen in the hotel lobby, her phone pressed to her ear. "Mom, should I say 'I'm coming home' or 'I'm going home'?" she whispered desperately. Her mother laughed—this wasn't the first time Sara had struggled with these tricky verbs.

Little did Sara know, her confusion would end that very afternoon... with help from an unexpected teacher.

The Taxi Driver's Golden Rule

As Sara slid into a taxi later, the driver—a wise older man named Mr. Khan—overheard her practicing:

"I will come to the party? Go to the party? Arrgh!"

Mr. Khan chuckled. "Let me show you the secret my English teacher taught me 40 years ago," he said. At the next red light, he drew two stick figures on his notepad:

1. COME = Toward the speaker (👉)
   "Please come to my office" (I'm already here)
   "She's coming to our wedding" (we'll be there)

2. GO = Away from the speaker (👈)
   "I'll go to Paris" (I'm not there now)
   "Let's go to the beach" (we're leaving this place)

The Lightbulb Moment

Sara gasped as Mr. Khan gave his genius trick:
"Imagine you're calling a dog—you say 'COME here!' because you want movement TOWARD you. You say 'GO away!' when you want movement AWAY."

3 Real-Life Tests Sara Tried

1. Phone Call Challenge
   "Dad, should I COME to your house (he's there) or GO to your house (I'm elsewhere)?"

2. Travel Plans
   "We're GOING to Bali" (we're not there) vs "Our friends are COMING to Bali" (they're joining us there)

3. Party Invitations
   "COME to my birthday!" (to guests) vs "I'll GO to your birthday" (when accepting someone else's invite)

The Happy Ending

That evening, Sara confidently told her mom: "I'm COMING home tomorrow!" (because Mom was already there). For the first time, it just felt... right.

Now It's Your Turn!
When did YOU last struggle with come/go?
• Have a clever trick to remember the difference?
• Ever had an embarrassing mix-up with these verbs?

Share your stories below—let's help each other master these sneaky words! 💬

P.S. Tag a friend who always says "I'm going to you" instead of "coming"! 😉