Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ qù le xuéxiào,yě huí le jiā. - I went to school and also went back home.

In this sentence, 了 (le) after the verbs marks the perfective aspect—both actions are completed. It is not a simple “past tense” marker. It often refers to past events, but more precisely it indicates a completed event or a new situation/result (e.g., 我吃饱了 = I’m full now).

Why is 了 used twice? Could I just use it once?

There are two separate verbs (去, 回), so using 了 after each one explicitly marks both actions as completed: 去了 and 回了. In casual speech you’ll often see only the second clause marked (e.g., 我去学校，也回家了), and context lets listeners infer the first action happened too. For clarity (especially as a learner), marking both is safest and very natural.

Can 了 go at the end instead? What’s the difference between 我去了学校 and 我去学校了?

Both are possible, with a nuance:

我去了学校: verb-suffix 了 = completed action, neutral statement of “went to school.”
我去学校了: sentence-final 了 highlighting a new situation/result, often heard as “has gone to school (and isn’t here now).” In many contexts they overlap, but the second tends to stress the resulting state. Your sentence uses the first pattern (V + 了 + O).

Why use 也 here? Why not 和, 还, or 又?

也 (yě) is an adverb meaning “also/too,” placed before the verb: 我去了学校，也回了家. It adds another action by the same subject.
和 (hé) links nouns, not verbs/clauses, so 我去了学校和回了家 is unnatural.
还 (hái) can mean “also/in addition” in colloquial speech: 我去了学校，还回了家 (fine, slightly more conversational). Beware that 还 can also mean “still.”
又 (yòu) mainly means “again.” 我去了学校，又回了家 can be misread as “went home again,” so avoid it unless repetition is intended. For symmetric “both…and…,” use 既…又…: 我既去了学校，又回了家.

Where does 也 go?

Put 也 immediately before the verb phrase it modifies: 我去了学校，也回了家. If you move 也 after the subject (e.g., 我也去了学校), it means “I also went to school” (compared with someone else), not “and also went home.”

Is 我回家了 more natural than 我回了家?

Both are correct. 回家了 is extremely common in speech. 回了家 is also fine, and keeps the parallel structure with 去了. If you want to emphasize arrival, 回到家了 is very clear.

What’s the difference between 去学校 and 上学?

去学校: go to the school (physically), for any purpose.
上学: attend school (as a student). Often you’ll say 去上学 (“go to attend school”). For daily routine, 我去上学了 is more idiomatic than 我去学校了.

Can I use 到, like 去到学校 or 到学校去? What’s the difference?

到 highlights arrival: 我到了学校 = “I arrived at school.”
到学校去 is also fine, especially for plans/commands: 我要到学校去.
去到学校 occurs in colloquial/regional usage; in standard Mandarin, prefer 去学校 or 到学校.
With “home,” 回到家 emphasizes the result of reaching home: 我回到家了.

Why is there no word for “to” (as in “go to” school)?

Chinese motion verbs directly take a place as their complement: 去学校, 回家, 上楼—no preposition like “to” is needed. If you need “inside,” add a localizer: 去学校里 (go inside the school).

Does the sentence imply order, or just addition?

也 expresses addition; it doesn’t guarantee order. Real-world knowledge suggests you went to school and then later went home, but if you want to make sequence explicit, use:

先…然后…: 我先去了学校，然后回了家。
…以后…就…: 我到学校以后就回了家 (often with more context).

How do I negate this?

Use 没(有) to negate completed actions and drop 了:

Neither action: 我没(有)去学校，也没(有)回家。
Went to school but didn’t go home: 我去了学校，但没(有)回家。
Didn’t go to school but did go home: 我没(有)去学校，但回家了。 Avoid 不 for past completed events here.

Do I need measure words with 学校 or 家?

No. You’re not counting; they’re destinations. If you quantify, use a classifier:

去了一所学校 (one school).
For 家 meaning “home,” you usually don’t count it; with other senses (e.g., a shop), you might: 一家饭馆.

Is the comma correct? Could I write 和 instead?

The comma is natural to separate two clauses. Don’t use 和 to connect verbs/clauses (我去了学校和回了家 is unnatural). You can also write it without the comma in very short sentences, but the comma improves readability.

How do I pronounce 了 here?

As neutral-tone le. It’s not liǎo in this sentence. Full reading: Wǒ qù le xuéxiào, yě huí le jiā.

If I add a time word like “yesterday,” do I still need 了?

Yes. Time words don’t replace aspect. For a specific completed event, keep 了:

昨天我去了学校，也回了家。 Dropping 了 would make it sound habitual or non-completed unless other context clarifies.

Could I use 然后 or 并且 instead of 也?

Yes, with different nuances:

然后 (then): 我去了学校，然后回了家 (explicit sequence).
并且/而且 (and, moreover; more formal): 我去了学校，并且/而且回了家. Use 也 when you just want “also” without stressing order or formality.

Do I need to repeat the subject 我 in the second clause?

No. When the subject stays the same, Chinese typically omits it: 我去了学校，(我)也回了家. Repeating 我 is possible for emphasis or rhythm but not required.