1 A2 neutral
To go somewhere with someone; to accompany a person.
"We're going to the market — do you want to come along?"
inseparable
come along
A2 neutral intransitive
To accompany someone somewhere; to arrive or appear; or to make progress.
In plain English
To go somewhere with someone; to show up; or to get better at something over time.
What does "come along" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 idiomatic neutral
To make progress; to develop or improve.
"Your English is really coming along — you've improved so much this term."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To appear or arrive, especially by chance or at the right moment.
"Opportunities like this don't come along very often, so take it."
“
A chance like this doesn't come along twice.
— Eminem, '8 Mile' (film, 2002)
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Transparent in the accompaniment and arrival senses; the progress sense is mildly idiomatic.
Actually means
To go somewhere with someone; to show up; or to get better at something over time.
Usage tip
Three distinct senses, all very common. 'Come along!' as a command means 'hurry up' or 'join me'. 'How's the project coming along?' asks about progress. 'An opportunity came along' means something appeared. The 'hurry up' command is more British.
Words that pair with "come along"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
nicely well opportunity chance perfect time invite
How to conjugate "come along"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
come along
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes along
he/she/it
Past simple
came along
yesterday
Past participle
come along
have + pp
-ing form
coming along
continuous
Hear "come along" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "come along" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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