“to go back” vs. “to come back”

“to go back” vs. “to come back”

These two phrasal verbs are often confused because they both mean “to return,” but they are used in different ways, so you have to be careful!

Basically, “to go back” means to return home (your house, your apartment, your country, your city, etc.). However, “to come back” means to go somewhere else, and then return to the same place where they were when they said the statement.

Here is an example:

“After I finish my studies at L.S.I., I will go back to Italy and see my family and friends again. I hope I can come back to Los Angeles someday, but I don’t know when I can do that,” said Claudio, an Italian student who is in L.A. right now.

So, in other words, “to go back” means to return home and stay there, usually for a long time.

“To come back” means to go to a different place (anywhere, it don’t have to be home) and return to the same area he/she is standing when the sentence was said.

Posted by Paul G.

Off the Top of My Head

Off the top of my head

Read the following dialogue and try to guess the meaning of the idiom in bold:

Joe: “ Hey, Mary. Do you know your sister’s phone number?”

Mary: “ Not off the top of my head. I have to check my phone.”

Joe: “Would you mind checking? I really need to talk to her!”

Mary: “Is everything ok?”

Joe: “ Well, I am in love with her and need to tell her…”

Mary: “ Joe, how many times have you met her?!”

Joe: “ Off the top of my head, I guess once or twice.”

Mary: “And you love her already? How about me? We’ve known each other for at least 7seven years!”

Joe: “ But, Mary… You are so different from her.”

Mary: “ What? What are you talking about, Joe? She’s my twin sister!”

Meaning:

Off the top of my head: to say something without thinking about it for very long.