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# goal

«goal» in Mova's school dictionary: **something you try to reach or do, like a goal to read 50…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (goal, goals)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A goal is something you try to reach or do, like a goal to read 50 books. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#m1)

2) In games like soccer, hockey and netball, a goal is the point you score by getting the ball into the net. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#m2)

3) The goal is also the net or the posts the ball must go into. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In maths: points scored in a game, or a target amount to reach (a goal of 100 pages); asks how many more are needed = goal − amount so far. In sport: score a goal, the goalkeeper guards the goal. In life: set a goal, reach your goal, work towards a goal. Phrases: score a goal, set a goal, reach a goal, own goal, goal post.

### examples

- Mia scored 3 goals in the game. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x1)
- Her goal is to read 50 books. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x2)
- He has saved $30 toward his goal of $75. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x3)
- The team scored 2 goals in each half. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x4)
- My goal this term is to learn my times tables. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x5)
- The ball hit the goal post and bounced out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x6)
- The goalkeeper stands in front of the goal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x7)
- They reached their goal of planting 100 trees. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x8)
- Scoring into your own net is an own goal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x9)
- Meanwhile the Tortoise kept plodding on, and in time reached the goal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/#x10)

### note

Countable: a goal, goals. A target: how many more are needed = goal − amount so far. Trap: goals scored by two teams are added only when the question asks for the total. Trap: if they went past the goal, extra = amount − goal.

### In the corpora

- [Focused practice means practising with full attention on one goal; watching the clock while repeating easy parts changes very little.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/3-practising-when-you-would-rather-not/6/)
- [Some animals survive because they work as a team, like a football side where one keeps goal while the others run.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/241-team-players-and-partners-meerkats-naked-mole-rats-huddles-cleaners-and-lemmings/0/)
- [Instructions have a goal, a list of things needed, and numbered steps in order.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/6/)
- ["An own goal" (UK) means a mistake that harms oneself.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/34-failure-and-mistakes/7/)
- ["Fell short" means failed to reach the goal.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/35-mistakes-and-stupidity/9/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «goal» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/goal/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.