their modern English reflexes go/gone and went. Suppletion in other Germanic languages The Dutch, Low German, German, and Scandinavian verbs cognate to go, e.g. Dutch gaan, Low German gahn, German gehen, and Danish/Norwegian/Swedish gå, also have suppletive past forms, namely the preterite ging of Dutch and German, güng of Low German, gick (from the same source) of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, and the past participle gegangen of German. These forms are relics from earlier, more widespread words that meant 'to walk, go' and which survive sporadically in Scots gang, East Frisian gunge, and Icelandic ganga. Some obsolete cognates include Middle Low German, Middle High German gangen, early modern Swedish gånga, and Gothic gaggan. These are reflexes of Proto-Germanic *ganganą, from Proto-Indo-European * 'to step', which also gave Lithuanian žeñgti 'to stride', Greek kochōnē 'perineum', Avestan zanga 'ankle', and Sanskrit jáṁhas 'step', jaṅghā 'shank'. Therefore, the case of English go is not unique among the Germanic languages, and it would appear that most have in a like manner reproduced equivalent suppletive conjugations for their words for 'to go', suggesting a cyclical change patterned after the state of affairs in Proto-Germanic. Phrasal forms The verb may be combined with various prepositions to form phrasal verbs such as "go around" and "go off". The verb go is used to form the going to future, in sentences like "I'm going to finish my work today." Perfect forms In perfect forms of the verb (have gone, had gone, etc.) the past participle gone is often replaced by that of be, namely been'''. For example: He's been to the shops. (He went and came back) He's gone to the shops. (He's there now) For details of this usage, see have been''. Notes Etymologies English verbs