Past Tense of “go”
The past simple of “go” is “went” and the past participle is “gone”. Below are the pronunciation, three example sentences, the mistake learners make most often, and a short drill to check yourself.
Forms of “go”
go – went – gone
move or travel somewhere
- Base form
- go/ɡoʊ/
- Past simple
- went/went/
- Past participle
- gone/ɡɔːn/
- -ing form
- going
- He / she / it
- goes
Pronunciation (US)
Quick practice
5 questions. Type the missing form.
Example sentences
Three everyday sentences that show how the forms are used.
Past simple
We went to the beach last weekend.
Past participle
She has gone to the bank, so she isn’t here.
Past participle
Where have all my pens gone?
The most common mistake
Wrong
I have went to London twice.
Correct
I have been to London twice.
“Went” is never used after “have”. For a finished visit, say “have been”; “has gone” means the person is still away.
Verbs with the same pattern
All 3 forms different. Learn these together.