The phrase "go a long way toward doing something" means to make a significant contribution or progress in achieving a goal. The spelling of this phrase can be broken down using IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbols, starting with the voiced velar stop /g/ followed by the diphthong /oʊ/ for "go." Next, we have the schwa /ə/ sound for "a" and the long vowel sound /lɔːŋ/ for "long." Finally, there's the voiced alveolar stop /t/ and the vowels /ɒ/ and /w/ for "toward." Together, this phrase packs a lot of phonetic complexity!
"go a long way toward doing something" is a phrase used to indicate making significant progress or achieving a substantial portion of a particular goal or objective. It implies that the action or effort being mentioned contributes significantly to the desired outcome, although it may not completely accomplish it.
When someone or something is said to go a long way toward doing something, it means that they bring about significant advancement or improvement towards the intended result. This expression suggests that the action or effort being discussed is highly effective or impactful in moving closer to the final objective.
For instance, if a person is in debt but manages to save a large sum of money, it can be said that their savings go a long way toward paying off their debt. Though the debt may not be entirely cleared, the significant progress made with the savings greatly helps in reducing the overall burden.
Similarly, in a business context, if a company takes significant steps to improve the quality of its products, it can be said that those improvements go a long way toward enhancing customer satisfaction. While there might still be areas that need improvement, the substantial efforts made are seen as highly valuable in satisfying customer needs and expectations.
Overall, the phrase "go a long way toward doing something" conveys the idea of substantial progress or achievement, emphasizing the contribution of particular actions or efforts to a desired outcome, even if it may not completely fulfill the goal.