There are many words and sayings in the English language that people use without properly understanding. The phrase “how did it go” is one of these such saying. In this post, we’ll explain the definition of this phrase and how to use it correctly in your writing. We’ll also give you some great alternatives!
What Does “How Did It Go” Mean?
The phrase “how did it go” is a grammatically correct sentence. So don’t panic if you see it during your final editing and proofreading checks. It is a simple question that is used to ask about someone else’s experiences. Was it a positive experience? Was it a negative experience? It is an invitation to share more details about an event or experience the person recently had.
Here are some examples when you should ask, “how did it go?”
- After a job interview
- After a first date
- After a major event
- After making a presentation
As we mentioned, this phrase is an invitation to share more details, feelings, and insights that go beyond a yes or no answer. This phrase is used most commonly as small talk during work related tasks. Just as we saw in our post comparing the words Atleast and At least, word choice and spelling matter!
Sentence Examples
Here are some different sentence examples that demonstrate how this phrase can be used. Remember, just like we saw in our post about hey there meaning that not every phrase is appropriate in both informal and formal contexts!
Work
- How did it go? Did you make the sale?
- How did it go? Was the boss mad we lost the client?
Sporting Event
- How did you play?
- How did it go? Did your team win or lose?
Job Interview
- How did you your job interview go?
- How did it go? Did you get the job?
Remember, just like we learned in our post comparing the words spelled vs spelt, spelling and word choice are very important!
How To Respond
There are many different ways you can respond to the phrase “how’d it go”. Here are some of the most popular.
- “It went well, thank you all for asking.”
- “It was a bit of a challenge, but I’m glad it’s over.”
- “It was okay, but I’m not sure if I would do it again.”
- “It was terrible, and I regret ever starting this new job.
- “I’m not sure yet, I’ll let you know in a few weeks.”
Remember, just like we learned in our post explaining the phrase sounds good, you should only use these terms in informal contexts.
Other Related Sayings
There are many alternate ways to ask the simple question, “how did it go?” Here are some of the most common:
- How did it turn out?
- How did it go over?
- How did it end up?
- What was the outcome?
- What was the result?
Popularity Analysis
By examining Google’s N Gram viewer we can see that the phrase “how did it go” has become very popular in recent years. In the year 2000, this phrase started gaining traction and became widely used by authors in their published writing.
Many other informal terms like Auntie or Aunty are far less popular in published writing. However, we have learned that vocabulary always changes. There is no way in predicting the popularity of a word or phase in the decades to come!
Frequently Asked Question
The phrase how did it go is used to ask how a specific event or situation turned out. For example, if your friend spent all Saturday shopping for a new car you might ask her how the new car buying experience was going. This is a very popular phrase in English speaking countries.
You can reply to the phrase how did it go by explaining how your experience was. For example, if you boss asks you about some work related tasks you might respond that they went well. This phrase is one of the most popular small talk examples that people use in casual conversation.
It is correct to say how did it go. This is a simple question that people ask regarding many things like a product launch, job interview, or business meeting. It is not correct to ask how was it.
When a guy says it is what it is he means that there is nothing he can do about it. It is a commonly used saying when a situation is out of your control. This phrase is most commonly used in tense or bad situations that are unfavorable.
Final Thoughts
By now you should be an expert on the phrase “how did it go”. This basic question can be used in an almost limitless amount of scenarios. Use this saying when you want to ask a friend, co-worker, or family member how a specific event turned out. The person will respond with details about their experience, good or bad. If you need more help with grammar rules like this, consider using our free online grammar and spelling checker to make writing easy!