go up to — approach (Murphy Unit 143, Phrasal verbs up 1)
Pattern
Section titled “Pattern”go up to [someone/place] = approach / walk toward.
- I saw Mike at the party, so I went up to him and said hello. (approached him)
- She went up to the teacher and asked.
- He went up to the counter.
- A stranger came up to me. (same meaning — different view)
The approach family (same meaning, different movement)
Section titled “The approach family (same meaning, different movement)”X up to [target] = approach — the verb before “up to” tells you the MOVEMENT TYPE:
| Verb | Movement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| go up to | walk toward (generic approach) | They went up to the speaker. |
| come up to | approach the narrator/me | The girl came up to me. |
| walk up to | approach on foot | She walked up to the counter. |
| run up to | approach running | He ran up to the car. |
| drive up to | approach in a vehicle | They drove up to the gas station. |
Usage note (from the flashcard): the related forms have the SAME meaning (approach), but the type of movement is different.
come vs go (the narrator rule)
Section titled “come vs go (the narrator rule)”| come up to | go up to | |
|---|---|---|
| Toward whom | the narrator / me | a third party (anyone else) |
| Example | The girl came up to me. | They went up to the speaker. |
| Why | “come” = movement toward the speaker’s position | “go” = movement away from the narrator, toward someone else |
The trap: in “They went up to the speaker”, the word “speaker” is a THIRD PERSON (the narrator watches them approach someone else). “Come” is only used when the target is the narrator (“me”). If you ARE the speaker in the sentence, they “came up to you”; if you’re watching, they “went up to her/him/the speaker”.
go up to vs come up to
Section titled “go up to vs come up to”| go up to | come up to | |
|---|---|---|
| View | speaker moves toward target | target moves toward speaker’s position |
| Example | I went up to him. | He came up to me. |
| Note | “went” = away from speaker’s origin | “came” = toward the speaker |
The “up” family (don’t confuse)
Section titled “The “up” family (don’t confuse)”| Phrasal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| go up to | approach | I went up to him. |
| come up | arise / approach (to speaker) | A problem came up. / She came up to me. |
| turn up | arrive / appear | He didn’t turn up. |
| keep up | maintain pace | I can’t keep up! |
| keep up with | stay level with | Keep up with the class. |
| catch up with | reach after pursuit | I caught up with him. |
Test application
Section titled “Test application”I saw Mike at the party, so I ___ him and said hello.
Answer: went up to — approached him to greet him.
Why not the others?
- came up — needs “to” (came up to him) and views from Mike’s side
- keep up / keep up with — maintain pace, not approach
- turn up — arrive/appear, not approach
- went up to ✓ — approached
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (4th ed.), Unit 143 — Phrasal verbs up 1. Ebot lesson 2026-08-29: “I saw Mike at the party, so I ___ him and said hello” → went up to (approached).