The difference between “been” and “gone” in English

In the English language, “been” and “gone” are often used in the context of the past tense, but their meanings and usages can differ significantly. Understanding the difference between these two words is important for those learning English. To briefly characterize the distinctions between them, remember the following:

“Been” is the past participle of the verb “be” and is used to indicate that a person has visited a place and returned. For example:

• I have been to London. (I visited London and came back.)

“Gone” is also a past participle, but of the verb “go,” and is used when a person has left for a place and has not yet returned. For example:

• She has gone to Paris. (She left for Paris and is still there.)

Thus, the main difference lies in the fact that “been” indicates a return, while “gone” signifies an absence. In this article, we will explore the key differences and rules for using “been” and “gone.”

Been – meaning and usage

“Been” is the past participle of the verb “be” and is used in the Perfect (completed) and Perfect Continuous (completed ongoing) tenses. It indicates an action that was completed by a certain point in the past or had been ongoing until that point. It often implies that someone has already returned from the place being mentioned.

Table with forms of the verb “to be”

Main meanings of “been” in English

“Been” can have several meanings depending on the context:

• Visiting a place and returning: If someone says “I have been to Paris,” it means they visited Paris and have already returned.
• Experience: “I have been a teacher for 10 years” means the person has had the experience of being a teacher for 10 years.
• State or existence: In phrases like “There has been a mistake,” the word “been” indicates that a mistake occurred.

Constructions frequently used with “been”

“Been” is used in the following constructions:

• Present Perfect: “I have been” or “We have been”
• Past Perfect: “I had been” or “They had been,” “She had been”
• Future Perfect: “I will have been” or “She will have been”
• Present Perfect Continuous: “I have been doing”
• Past Perfect Continuous: “I had been doing”
• Future Perfect Continuous: “I will have been doing”

Examples of using “been”

• Present Perfect: “I have been to the store.”
• Past Perfect: “By the time you arrived, I had already been there.”
• Future Perfect: “By next year, I will have been a teacher for 15 years.”
• Present Perfect Continuous: “I have been studying English for two hours.”

Been is also used in set expressions and idioms:

• “I have been meaning to tell you…”
• “It’s been a long time.”

Gone – meaning and usage

“Gone” is the past participle of the verb “go” and is used in the Perfect (completed) and Perfect Continuous (completed ongoing) tenses. It indicates an action that was completed by a certain point in the past or had been ongoing until that point. It emphasizes that someone has not yet returned from the place they went to.

Table with forms of the verb “to go”

Main meanings of “gone” in English

“Gone” can also have several meanings depending on the context:

• Absence: When someone says “She has gone to Paris,” it means she left for Paris and has not yet returned.
• Disappearance: “The cake is gone” means the cake has disappeared or been eaten.

Constructions frequently used with “gone”

“Gone” is used in the following constructions:

• Present Perfect: “She has gone to the store.”
• Present Perfect: “He has gone to the office.”
• Past Perfect: “By the time you arrived, she had already gone there.”
• Past Perfect: “By the time we arrived, they had gone.”
• Future Perfect: “By next week, she will have gone on vacation.”
• Present Perfect Continuous: “He has been going to the gym regularly.”

Examples of using “gone”

• Present Perfect: “She has gone to the beach.”
• Past Perfect: “By the time I arrived, the train had already gone.”
• Future Perfect: “By next month, they will have gone to three different countries.”

Gone is often used in passive constructions:

• “The car is gone.”
• “All the tickets are gone.”

Practical examples

Example 1:

• “John has been to New York.”  (and has returned).
• “John has gone to New York.” (and has not yet returned).

Example 2:

• “She has been to the grocery store.”  (and has returned).
• “She has gone to the grocery store.”  (and is still there).

Using “been” in passive constructions

“Been” in the passive voice is often used in the Perfect and Continuous tenses.

Present Perfect Passive:

• “The work has been done.”
• “The book has been read by many people.”

Past Perfect Passive:

• “The letter had been sent before he arrived.”
• “The project had been completed by the time the deadline came.”

Present Perfect Continuous Passive (less common, but possible in some contexts):

• “The house has been being built for a year.”

Past Perfect Continuous Passive (very rare and mostly used in technical or formal language):

• “The bridge had been being constructed for several years before it was completed.”

Using “gone” to describe a state

“Gone” can be part of a construction when referring to the disappearance or absence of something.

Present Perfect:

• “The milk is gone.”  (it is no longer there).

Present Perfect Passive (with “gone”):

• “All the tickets have gone.”  (they are gone).

In this context, “gone” functions as an adjective describing a state, rather than as part of a passive construction with the verb “to go.”

Key differences between “been” and “gone” with examples

When talking about past travel experiences, we typically use been to mean “gone” or “visited,” usually with ever/never:

• Have you ever been to Australia? (Have you ever visited Australia?)
• Yes, I’ve been there three times. (I’ve gone there three times.)
• No, I’ve never been there. (I’ve never visited.)

The word been describes trips that have happened at an indefinite time in the past (and implies that the person has returned from the trip):

• I’ve been to Germany twice. (I am not in Germany now, but I have visited Germany two times at some point in the past).
• We haven’t been to India yet. (We have not yet visited India at any point in the past).
• Have you ever been to Asia? (Have you visited Asia at any point in the past?)

When talking about recently going to a place (and the person is still there), we use gone:

• Sorry, Bob’s not in his office. He’s already gone home for the day. (he went home and he is still at home)
• Maria’s gone to the hospital because she’s about to have the baby. (she went to the hospital and she is still at the hospital)
• My sister’s gone to South America on vacation; she’ll be back next month. (she went to South America and she is still in South America).

We can also use went in these cases: Bob already went home, Maria went to the hospital, my sister went to South America. This is especially common in American English.

Table to remember the differences between “been” and “gone”

The difference between “been” and “gone” in English can seem difficult for language learners, but understanding the difference is the key to using these words correctly. “Been” indicates a completed action with a return to the starting point, while “gone” emphasizes that the action is still in progress or has just finished without returning. Studying contexts and practical examples will help you use these words confidently in speaking and writing. Read, write, listen and speak English as much as you can and you will quickly learn the correct use of ‘been’ and ‘gone’.

Exercises to reinforce the material

To better understand the difference between “been” and “gone,” we suggest completing a few exercises.

Exercise 1: Choose the correct option

1. I have ___ to the new restaurant. (been/gone)
2. She has ___ to Italy on vacation. (been/gone)
3. They have ___ at the park all day. (been/gone)
4. He has ___ to the grocery store and will be back soon. (been/gone)
5. Have you ever ___ to Paris? (been/gone)

Answers:

1. been
2. gone
3. been
4. gone
5. been

Exercise 2: Now fill in the blanks yourself, using “been” or “gone” in the appropriate form

1. They ______ to the beach yesterday and got sunburned.
2. I ______ to the bank this morning to deposit a check.
3. My sister ______ shopping, that’s why she’s not home yet.
4. The cat ______ missing since last night. We can’t find it anywhere.
5. John ______ a teacher for 5 years before he changed careers.
6. By the time we arrived, the concert ______ already ______.
7. Sarah ______ ______ studying French for 2 hours when her friend called.
8. I ______ ______ planning to tell you about the party, but I forgot.
9. They ______ ______ traveling around Europe for a month last summer.
10. The cookies ______ ______! Did you eat them all?