go to and go...

OK this is a very common problem for Japanese English speakers, you say "go to shopping" instead of "go shopping". I even know a teacher who said it was one her student's biggest problems.

The basic rule here is:

go + ing verb = go do an action

go + to + PLACE = go somewhere

So for example:

I'm going to Sapporo.
I'm going to Gion.
I'm going to Book Off.

Be careful here going to is NOT used to talk about the future so DON'T use gonna!
All of these examples say I am going to a SPECIFIC PLACE. If you want to be a bit more general add "the" when the listener knows which one you are talking about.

I'm going to the bookstore.
I'm going to the supermarket.

If you are not sure which shop you are going you can use"a":

I'm going to a cafe. (I don't know which one)

Some places NEED "the" because people used to live in small towns and so there was only one, or everyone would go to the same place.

I'm going to the bank.
I'm going to the post office.
I'm going to the beach.
I'm going to the lake.

Now when talking about ACTIONS you use "go ~ing". For example:

I go dancing every weekend.
I like to go drinking with my friends.

The important thing to remember here is:

NEVER use go + to + ing verb!

It is virtually ALWAYS wrong.

I go to shopping. NO! I go shopping. YES ^_^

See you next time!

Phil