We use going with an -ing form to talk about activities in which people move about, and which do not have a fixed beginning or end. The structure is common in expressions referring to sport and leisure activities. |
Below are some examples: go fishing, go hunting, go dancing, go singing, go eating, go cooking, go walking, go skating, go climbing, go riding, go shooting Let’s go fishing next Saturday. Did you go hunting last weekend? |
Go …ing is also used to talk about looking for or collecting things. For example: Matt is going fruit-picking this Saturday with some friends. In summer all people will go cleaning their houses. I think I’ll go swimming later; the weather seems to be very fine. |
We do not use go ..ing to talk about activities that have more definite beginning and end For example: I will go watching a football match this weekend. (wrong) Danny will go boxing with some friends next week. (wrong) |
Note that prepositions of place, not direction, are used after go …ing For example: I went dancing in the party. Not: I went dancing to the party. They went biking at the park last Friday. Not: They went biking to the park last Friday. |