Go the extra mile means to do more than is expected of you and make a special effort. People use it to praise employees, teachers and service: someone didn't stop at their duties and did something nobody asked for. The phrase is common at work, in CVs and in reviews; in an academic essay, people usually replace it with do more than is required.
When would you say go the extra mile?
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go the extra mile + for someone; go the extra mile + to + verb
- The hotel staff went the extra mile and made us a packed breakfast because we had an early flight.
- My teacher always went the extra mile for students who struggled with grammar.
- If you want a good reference, be ready to go the extra mile during your internship.
What changed
First versionOur support team always does the extra mile for clients.
RevisionOur support team always goes the extra mile for clients.
Since the idea is doing more, does can seem logical. But the idiom is built on the image of a road: walking one more mile. So the verb is always go, and the article is always the: go the extra mile.
Make an effort simply means to try. Go the extra mile means doing something nobody asked for or expected. I made an effort to arrive on time. She went the extra mile and printed handouts for the whole group.
Your turn
Everyone praised the receptionist, who had ___ by walking a lost tourist to his hotel after her shift.
Show the answer
gone the extra mile — The receptionist is being praised: she walked the tourist to his hotel after her shift, so she did more than her job required. That is why gone the extra mile fits. Gone too far means overdoing something in a bad way, and people criticise that rather than praise it.
Write about someone who helped you more than they had to. Say who it was and what exactly they did beyond their duties.
When I was moving flats, my landlord went the extra mile and lent me his van for the whole weekend.
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