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Irregular verb

go

/ɡəʊ/

Base
go
Past simple
went
Past participle
gone

Usage

went is used in all simple past-tense contexts; gone only follows have/has/had, as in has gone.

Meaning

  • to move or travel from one place to another

Example

They went home by bus.

She went to the market early this morning.

He has gone to the shop; he'll be back soon.

Teaching note

Go has the unrelated-looking past form went and the participle gone. Gone often describes movement away from the speaker’s current place.

Common mistake

Do not write ‘I have went to the shop’; went is only the simple-past form and cannot follow have.

Correction: Use ‘I went to the shop yesterday’ for simple past. Use ‘I have gone to the shop’ when the person is still away.

Understand the difference between been and gone