Set a goal means to decide exactly what you want to achieve. People use it about personal plans, studies, sport and work. The goal itself is often named straight away: set a goal of saving £1,000, set a goal to learn Spanish.
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set (yourself) a goal; set a goal of + -ing/number; set a goal to + verb; achieve / reach a goal
- At the start of the year, I set a goal of reading one book a month.
- Our team set a clear goal for the next quarter: fifty new clients.
- Set yourself small goals, or you'll give up after the first week.
What changed
First versionI put a goal to learn 500 new words by the summer.
RevisionI set a goal to learn 500 new words by the summer.
Put may seem like the verb for placing a goal in front of yourself, which gives put a goal. But put means placing an object somewhere, and it isn't used with goals. In English a goal is set. The verb set doesn't change its form, so the past is also set.
Target often comes up next to goal: a specific figure with a deadline, especially at work. The manager set us a target of 200 sales a month. Goal is broader: it is whatever you are aiming for. When you reach a goal, say achieve or reach: I finally achieved my goal.
Your turn
My coach helped me ___ a realistic goal: to run 5 km without stopping by June.
Show the answer
set — The coach is helping to define a goal for the future, and in English a goal is set, so set. Native speakers don't say put a goal.
Write about a goal you have set yourself in your studies, work or sport. Say what exact result you want and by when.
This year I set myself a goal of reading 12 books in English by December.
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