Difference Between Went and Gone (With Table)

I think mastering a language can be possible with huge dedication because the more you learn about a language more discoveries you will be able to find. English is such a language that can be confusing at times because there are so many ways of saying a simple sentence.

The difference between the terms ‘went’ and ‘gone’ is quite simple because their usage in a sentence makes all the difference. However, it is important to know the difference between these two terms because students and teachers often make the mistake of using one in place of the other.

Went vs Gone

The main difference between ‘Went’ and ‘Gone’ is that went is the past tense of go while the term ‘gone’, on the other hand, becomes the past participle of go. So, there is a huge difference between these terms and you should make sure that you do not make the mistake of confusing one with the other.

Once you read different articles, essays, blogs, and other such things then you can understand when and where these two terms are used. It is important for a person to use the correct use of terms because mistakes can happen even while you speak and while speaking if you make a mistake then it might be embarrassing for you.

Comparison Table Between Went and Gone

Parameters of Comparison

Went

Gone

Auxiliary Verbs

The term ‘went’ does not accompany auxiliary verbs.

The term ‘gone’ on the other hand, accompanies auxiliary verbs.

Tense

The term ‘went’ is the past tense of go.

The term ‘gone’ on the other hand, is a past particle of go.

Used in

Went is often used in simple past tense.

Gone, on the other hand, is often used in perfect tenses.

Example

Raj went to college.

Raj has gone to college.

Followed with

Followed with a noun or a pronoun in most cases.

The auxiliary verb is followed.

What is ‘Went’?

Went is a common word that we use while speaking, reading, and writing. English Language students, professors, and teachers will know when and where to use the term. The term is used in a sentence when you want to say that someone or something has changed its place. For example: Raj went out to the shopping mall to get some biscuits.

Here, in the above example, you can clearly understand how the term is used to express that Raj is outside to buy some biscuits. The term ‘went’ is the past tense of go. Everything that has been done in the past is expressed through this word.

You might have wondered that both these terms ‘went’ and ‘gone’ might have the same meaning but there is a huge difference between them. For example: Raj gone to college. The example clearly shows that there is a mistake and it is the use of the wrong term in the wrong place.

So, it is necessary to understand the meaning and usage of the words. It often happens that we make the mistake of jumbling the words and use one word in place of the other. If you are an intermediate in the English Language then there are plenty of options for you to exercise your skills as there are many tutorial videos on the internet that will teach you how to use terms in a sentence or even while speaking, reading, or writing.

What is ‘Gone’?

The term ‘gone’ is the past participle of go and this term also has some significance in the English Language.  The term can also be used as in future tense. Let us take an example here to understand it better: Raj has gone out to the mall to buy some biscuits.

The use of ‘has gone’ in a sentence depicts the action that has been undertaken. This shows the difference in a sentence and also the tenses used in a sentence. Almost having a similar meaning both these terms are used differently.

Let’s take an example of a past participle: Raj has been gone for a few weeks. Here, the term gone is used because Raj has gone to someplace and he has gone for few weeks. So, the action has already taken place and thus depicts the past particle in the above example.

Interestingly, this term can also be used in future perfect tense also. For example: Raj will have gone to school before you wake up. In the example here the use of the term ‘gone’ is correctly used to show an action that will take place in the future.

These are some of the basic difference that you can understand by their usage in a sentence or in any place. One needs to use the terms perfectly in a sentence because one mistake can change even the meaning of a sentence. So, students need to make sure they do not make any mistake while using these terms.

Main Differences Between Went and Gone

  1. The term ‘went’ is the past tense of the word go whereas the term ‘gone’ is the future tense of go.
  2. The term ‘went’ can only be used in one tense only whereas the term ‘gone’ can be used in two different tenses.
  3. Examples: Raj ‘went’ to the college, and Raj has ‘gone’ to the college.
  4. The term ‘went’ is followed by a noun or a pronoun whereas the term ‘gone’ a auxiliary verb is followed.
  5. The word ‘go’ is the base form for both these words.

Conclusion

In the end, it is you who have to make the effort to make the correct usage of these terms. And there are tutorial videos and also online courses available for free if you want to learn the language and not make any kind of mistake. If you want to master the language then daily exercise is required in the areas where you are weak. Say suppose you know the language but you want to master your speaking then reading might help you gain your skill.

References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=lang_en&id=WYY0DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT23&dq=went+and+gone&ots=psmjBt0mxF&sig=yz0JHP3sKzzGVySCv2Mzq8Qk7eA
  2. https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/fulltext/S1360-1385(01)02137-9