English Conversation

Making requests and offers 73

He missed a week of work when he was sick.

You played the wrong card. Now you have to miss your turn.

Miss can also mean to arrive too late for a form of public transportation.

We got stuck in traffic and missed our plane. Now we have to reschedule.

Miss can also mean to feel nostalgic or sad about a person you haven’t seen, a place you

haven’t been to, or an activity you haven’t participated in for a while.

I miss you, I miss Arlington, and I miss hanging out with you guys.

Miss can also mean failure to answer a question correctly on a test or to connect with a ball

(or other object) in a game.

She missed six questions on the test and failed it.

You’d better get your eyes checked—you missed the ball three times!

Go and come

To go means to move from here or there to another place.

I’m going to the airport tonight.

When are you going to Colorado?

To come can mean to move from there to here.

(I am at work now.) I’m coming to work early tomorrow.

(I am in Colorado.) When are you coming to Colorado?

To come can also mean to move from here to there—when the person you are talking to is

expected to be there.

(I am at work now; you are at home.) I’m coming home early this afternoon.

(I am in Virginia; you are in Colorado.) I’m coming to Colorado in August.

(We are both at the office.) I hope you can come to the party at my house next week.

To go over can emphasize that the movement from here to there or to another place is short.

Go over to your neighbor’s house and see if she is at home.

To go over can also mean to read or review something in order to understand or remember

it better.

I’m going to go over my notes tonight. We have a big test tomorrow.

To come over emphasizes that the movement toward you or toward the person you are speak-

ing to is short.

I’m a little scared. Can you come over?

Her friends came over yesterday and stayed all afternoon.

Come on over is an informal invitation that emphasizes that the distance is really short.

I hear a lot of noise coming Come on over and join the party!

from your house!