Main Difference – Gone vs Went
Gone and went are two verb forms that often confuse many English learners. Both these verb forms are related to the verb go (go means to move from one place to another) and both indicate the past. If you know the difference between tenses, it is very easy to understand the difference between gone and went. Gone is the past participle of go and went is the past tense of go. Since went is a past tense form, it is mainly used in simple past tense. Gone, on the other hand, can be used in perfect tenses. This is the main difference between gone and went.
This article explains in detail,
1. Grammar, Meaning and Examples of Usage of Gone
2. Grammar, Meaning and Examples of Usage of Went
3. How to Use Gone and Went
4. Difference Between Gone and Went
Gone – Grammar, Meaning and Usage
Gone is the past participle of go. Gone can be mainly used in the perfect tenses. Since it is a past participle form, it cannot occur alone in a sentence; gone is always accompanied by an auxiliary verb (has, have, had, is, are, etc.). Look at the following examples to understand this point clearly.
He has gone to Paris twice.
You could have gone with your family.
Those days are long gone.
The robbers were gone by the time the cops arrived.
The child has already gone to bed.
You should have gone home earlier.
She has gone to China before.
Went – Grammar, Meaning and Usage
Went is the past tense of go. This form can be used in simple past tense of the verb go. Went can stand alone in a sentence; it doesn’t need an auxiliary verb. Went usually comes after a noun or pronoun. For example,
Tom went to school.
We went to see our old teacher.
The group of friends went to the cinema.
I went to the store with my mother.
My parents went to church.
They went to Chennai last month.
She went to her grand parent’s house.
How to Use Gone and Went
If you are not sure what verb form you should use, look at the order of the sentence.
He has ……. to Denmark.
He ……. to Denmark.
If the sentence already has a state verb, then you should use gone.
He has ……. to Denmark. ⇒ He has gone to Denmark.
If it does not have any other verb, you can use went.
He ……. to Denmark. ⇒ He went to Denmark.
Difference Between Gone and Went
Tense
Gone is the past participle of go.
Went is the past tense of go.
Auxiliary Verb
Gone always accompanies auxiliary verbs.
Went does not accompany auxiliary verbs.
Order
Gone immediately follows the auxiliary verb.
Went usually follows a noun or a pronoun.
Usage
Gone is often used in perfect tenses.
Went is often used in the simple past tense.
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