What is the difference between been and gone in English?
Been is the past participle of be.
For example:
- I have been very happy in this house.
- You’ve been so kind to me.
- She’s been a teacher for two years.
BUT been is also a past participle of go.
Go has two past participles, gone and been, but they are used differently.
1. been = somebody went somewhere and came back
We use been for a completed visit. The person has visited a place and returned.
- He has been to New York.
(He went to New York and came back.) - They have been to the post office.
(They visited the post office and are not there now.) - I’ve been to Melbourne twice. I’d like to go again.
Visually, you can imagine it like this:
2. gone = somebody went somewhere and is still there (or is on the way there)
We use gone when the person has left and has not returned yet.
- He has gone to New York.
(He is in New York now or is travelling there.) - They have gone to the post office.
(They are at the post office now or are on the way there.) - Anna’s not here. She’s gone to Melbourne.
Visually, you can imagine it like this:
❗ Note: Sometimes people use gone instead of been if it is clear from the context that the visits are complete. These sentences mean the same thing:
- I have been to the gym three times this week.
- I have gone to the gym three times this week.
In the example above, been and gone are interchangeable because the phrase “three times this week” makes it clear that we are talking about completed, repeated visits.
We use gone for most other meanings of go.
For example:
- Have they gone yet?
(Have they left yet?) - The time has gone quickly.
(The time has passed quickly.) - My headache hasn’t gone yet.
(My headache hasn’t disappeared yet.) - Has the day gone well?
(Has the day progressed well or been a success?)