how about going

USAGE SUMMARY

This is a correct sentence in written English.
You can use it when you are suggesting an activity or plan to someone, such as "How about going to the beach this weekend?".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Travel

Lifestyle

Opinion

Health

Sport

Social Care

Garden

Music

Food

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

34 human-written examples

How about going really retro?

The New York Times

How about going to Paris on Concorde just for lunch?

Independent

But how about going leftfield and downloading some podcasts?

The Guardian - Travel

This year, how about going gourmet with the tea selection?

The Guardian

But how about going a step further and prohibiting the carrying of a semiautomatic weapon around 9-year-old girls?

The New York Times

Ian Forth (over 36): how about going as Timmy Mallett's erstwhile sidekick?" WICKET!

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

26 human-written examples

How about "Go; you are an insignificant thing".

The New York Times

"Hey, how's about going for a walk?" she says.

The Guardian - Music

How do you feel about going back?

BBC

How are you feeling about going there?    e.

Health & Justice

"Like: 'How about we go sign Prince?

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For formal communication or in professional contexts where greater deference is appropriate, consider alternatives like "would you be interested in going" or "have you considered going".

Common error

Avoid using "how about going" in formal business correspondence or academic papers. Its casual tone can undermine the seriousness of your message. Instead, opt for more professional alternatives that convey respect and consideration.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how about going" functions primarily as a suggestion or invitation. It proposes an activity for consideration and invites the listener or reader to respond or participate. Ludwig AI confirms this as a grammatically correct way to offer a plan.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Lifestyle

20%

Travel

15%

Less common in

Opinion

5%

Wiki

5%

Science

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "how about going" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to make suggestions or extend invitations, as validated by Ludwig AI. It is best suited for informal settings and should be avoided in formal or academic writing. Its widespread use in news and lifestyle contexts indicates its accessibility and general applicability. Consider alternatives like "shall we go" or "would you like to go" for situations requiring more formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what about going

Replaces "how" with "what", slightly altering the emphasis while maintaining the same suggestive function.

shall we go

Offers a more direct and slightly more formal way of suggesting a shared activity.

why don't we go

Suggests an activity by questioning the lack of it, implying an invitation.

have you considered going

Presents the activity as a thought for consideration, adding a layer of indirectness.

would you like to go

Directly asks about the other person's desire to participate, making it more of a question than a suggestion.

fancy going

Uses a more informal and British English expression for suggesting an activity.

what do you say about going

Asks for an opinion on the idea of going, making it less direct.

how does going sound

Asks for feedback on the proposed activity, making it a more collaborative suggestion.

we could go

Presents going as one of several possibilities, softening the suggestion.

going might be nice

Expresses a personal opinion that going would be enjoyable, rather than a direct invitation or suggestion.

FAQs

What's a more formal way to suggest an activity than "how about going"?

In formal settings, you can use phrases like "would you be interested in going", "have you considered going", or "might you be inclined to go" to maintain a professional tone.

How can I make "how about going" sound more enthusiastic?

Add details to your suggestion. For example, instead of just saying "how about going", try "How about going to that new Italian restaurant I told you about?"

Is "how about to go" grammatically correct?

No, "how about to go" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "how about going", using the gerund form of the verb.

What's the difference between "how about going" and "what about going"?

Both phrases are very similar and can often be used interchangeably. "What about going" might be used when considering multiple possibilities, while "how about going" is a more direct suggestion.