Go down means to become lower or smaller (about prices, numbers or temperature), or to move down: go down the stairs. About the sun, it means to set: In winter the sun goes down before five.
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prices/numbers + go down (by + amount); go down + stairs/street; the sun goes down; go down well with + person
- Flight prices to Spain usually go down in November, when fewer people travel.
- The number of complaints went down after we changed our delivery company.
- Be careful when you go down the stairs because they're still wet.
What changed
First versionPetrol prices have lowered a lot this month.
RevisionPetrol prices have gone down a lot this month.
Here the prices fell on their own, but “lower” needs someone who does the lowering: The shop lowered its prices. When you simply say that prices became lower, use “have gone down”.
When you describe graphs in IELTS Writing Task 1, “go down” is clear but sounds informal. “Fall”, “decrease” or “drop” work better there: Car sales fell by 15% over the period. And “go down well with” means to be liked by someone: My joke didn't go down well with the boss.
Your turn
After a big supermarket opened next door, prices in our corner shop ___ by almost ten per cent.
Show the answer
went down — Nobody in the sentence lowers the prices: they fell on their own, so “went down” is right. “Lowered” does not work this way; it needs an object, as in the shop lowered its prices.
Think of something that has cost you less over the past year. Say which expense has gone down and why.
My electricity bills have gone down since we replaced our old fridge with a new one.
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