Have a go – The English We Speak

Feifei: Morning Neil. In a rush today, were you?

Neil: Just a bit, Feifei. You know, kids,

breakfast, commute. The usual. Why?

Feifei: Well – I noticed your shirt isn’t ironed.

Neil: Very attentive of you.

Feifei: And your shirt has … ketchup on it?

Neil: Oops, yes – beans for breakfast.

Feifei: And you haven’t shaved, have you?

Neil: Well, no. Erm…

Feifei: You really do need to make more of an effort.

Neil: Feifei, why are you having a go at me?

Feifei: Relax, Neil. I’m just giving you the opportunity

to use the phrase, we are teaching which is: ‘have a go’!

Neil: Well that’s a relief.

Feifei: ‘To have a go at someone’, as we’ve just seen,

means to criticise someone.

Neil: That’s right. Here are some examples.

Examples: The boss really had a go at Michaela

after she offended our clients.

Susie had a go at her husband last night.

He’d forgotten all about her birthday.

Why do you always have a go at me?

Why can’t you say something nice?

Feifei: That’s our phrase.

‘To have a go at someone’ – which means

to criticise someone.

Neil: There. Can we be nice to each other now?

Feifei: Well, we can have a go!

Neil: Ah, very clever.

‘To have a go’ has another meaning – ‘to try’.

Feifei: Yes – if you have a go at something, you try it.

Neil: Why don’t you have a go at

making an example sentence, Feifei?

Feifei: Ok then. I’m going to have a go at

cooking a Thai curry from scratch.

Neil: Tasty. ‘To have a go’ meaning ‘to try’.

And one last thing, Feifei.

Do I really look scruffy?

Feifei: Not at all.

Though you could shave once in a while.

Neil: I’ll have a go. Just for you Feifei.

Feifei + Neil: Bye.