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I feel happy when I go to the cinema/to the sea/to my grandma's etc.

What does exactly "go" mean? Does it mean a) the moment when I am leaving for b) the process of going to c) the time spent at the place of my destination d) all the above

user1425
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The expressions mean that you are happy whenever you have those activities in prospect, in comparison to some other way of spending the day.
The expressions aren't specific about the exact instants that you will feel happiness, nor about any subdivisions of the activity.

Jack O'Flaherty
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In these examples, it refers to the time that you spend at these places. It might include the trip.

In general the word "go" can refer to the moment of departure, the trip, the time at the destination, or some combination. Like if you say, "Go now!" you are talking about the moment of departure. If you say, "I like to go to Idaho by train", specifying the means of travel indicates that you are talking about the trip. If someone says, "I plan to go to Chicago next week", he's probably talking about a plan to spend time at that destination, but he could be thinking of the trip also.

Jay
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When [noun or pronoun] + bare verb is the present simple tense.

This is not about the verb go, it is about using the present simple tense.

When I play the piano, I am happy.

"When I go [to some place]" refers to a habitual action that you do.

If it were not habitual action, another verb tense would be used. For example: When I went, When I used to go, When I have gone.

When I go to my grandma's, I have a good time.

go [to x or somewhere] is idiomatic in English. If you are referring to how you go, you usually would use another verb: skating, cycling, running, sailing, etc. etc. etc.

Lambie
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  • Why is it not about the verb go? Play is more clear. When I go to my... does it mean while I am on the way or when I have arrived... it's not clear – user1425 Dec 08 '22 at 16:50
  • @user1425 Because the usage can be generalized to many situations with a transitive verb. So, it does not specifically concern go, it's concerns the present simple tense of go, as opposed to went, has gone etc. When I go [to x] **implies a habitual action: present simple is for habitual action in cases like this. I cannot be clearer than that. – Lambie Dec 08 '22 at 16:53
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    If you enjoyed the journey but didn't enjoy being at Grandma's, you would say it in some other way that made the distinction clear. "I feel happy when I go" implies that you enjoy the whole experience. – Kate Bunting Dec 08 '22 at 18:37
  • @KateBunting Like I said, the question is not about the verb go per se, it's about the simple present. So, of course, it implies the whole experience as you point out. For me, contrasting it with other transitive uses makes that usage clear. When I go to explain things twice, I have to keep my annoyance in check. – Lambie Dec 08 '22 at 18:42
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    @Lambie - The comment was an answer to the OP's question "Does it mean while I am on the way...?" – Kate Bunting Dec 08 '22 at 18:48
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    It is about a habitual action, but which one? The process of traveling from home to grandma's house, or the visit with grandma? Such ambiguity is not present with many other verbs, such as your "play" example, which indicates it is about the verb "go". (I would say the latter meaning btw). – nasch Dec 09 '22 at 00:30
  • nasch, spot-on! – user1425 Dec 09 '22 at 09:29
  • @nasch It's like any other verb in the simple present. It does not involve process. It involves movement to a place by a person or object as a habitual thing. There is no ambiguity at all. I go to school in the city. I go to school by bus. I go home. The bus goes to the town everyday. – Lambie Dec 09 '22 at 15:07
  • @Lambie But idiomatically in English (at least US English), most of the time, maybe almost always, when someone says "I like going to school", they are NOT referring to riding the bus. They're talking about actually being at school, and getting there has nothing to do with it. – nasch Dec 09 '22 at 16:23
  • @nasch It still is not ambiguous in context. Go to school is informal for attend school. It would not be referring in most cases to the car or bus ride. And again, this is about the use of the present simple regardless of any ambiguity, real or imagined. – Lambie Dec 09 '22 at 19:34
  • @Lambie Right, that is exactly what the question is about, and it's specific to the verb "go". – nasch Dec 09 '22 at 22:47
  • @nasch go to a [place] is an idiom in English, as in many other languages. There is no ambiguity because most English speakers would use another verb if they meant how they go: I like riding my bike to school, I like flying to grandma's, I like skateboarding to the movies. ERGO, the OP is mistaken about "ambiguity" in about 99.9 % of cases. – Lambie Dec 11 '22 at 18:15
  • @Lambie Right, and that is a peculiarity of the verb "go". It's about that verb, not about present simple tense as your answer indicates. – nasch Dec 12 '22 at 20:40
  • @nasch The verb is not peculiar at all. The same thing exists in French: J'alme aller à l'école. Spanish: Me gusta ir a la escuela. Portuguese: Gosto de ir a escola. When you like the idea of how you go, you use another verb. Not go. You forgot the question: When I go to the cinema. NOT: when I'm going to the cinema. – Lambie Dec 12 '22 at 21:04
  • @Lambie "I like going to the cinema" has exactly the same idiomatic meaning as "I like to go to the cinema". And I don't see what French or Spanish have to do with it. – nasch Dec 13 '22 at 22:03