'Been' and 'Gone' Difference and Exercises -'Have been'/'Have gone'
What’s the difference?
We use been when someone has returned from somewhere and they are talking about their experience.
We use gone when someone is away and they are not here now.
Exercises
1 . I have ____ to Italy, and I really enjoyed it.
been / gone
✅ been
ℹ️ We use been because this person has completed the journey. It is in the past and the person is not there now.
2. You decide to go shopping and you leave a message for your partner. You write:
‘Hi, I’ve _____ shopping. Speak to you later!”
✅ gone
ℹ️ We use gone because the action isn’t complete. You are still shopping when your partner reads the note.
3. “Don’t wait for Peter, he’s ______ to the dentists and will be a while.”
✅ gone
ℹ️ We use gone because Peter is still at the dentists, he has not returned so the action is not complete.
4. Your friend at work is not there today, so you ask your boss “Where is Sam?” Your boss says “Sam isn’t here today, or this week because he’s _____ to Liverpool to visit his mother”
✅ gone
ℹ️ Sam is in Liverpool now so we use ‘gone‘.
5. “Mark told me today that he’s ____ to New York five times, but I don’t think he’s telling the truth”
✅ been
ℹ️ Mark was explaining his past experience of visiting New York. He has returned, so we use been.
6. “We have ____ to Lisbon before, and we might go again this summer.”
✅ been
ℹ️ This person has now returned from Lisbon. So we use been as it’s a past experience.
7. A) “Where is Paul? I can’t find him anywhere?”
B) “He’s _____ out to get some milk because we don’t have any”
✅ gone
ℹ️ Paul is currently outside at the shops buying milk so we use gone.
8. “You look so tired! Have you ____ to the gym?”
✅ been
ℹ️ This person has returned from the gym, so we use been.
9. A) It’s so quiet. Where are the kids?
B) They have ____ to school – enjoy the peace!
✅ gone
ℹ️ The kids are away at school now – so we use ‘gone’.
10. A) Where is your wife?
B) Well, she’s just ____ to the doctors to get some medicine, and now she’s in bed with a bad headache…
✅ been
ℹ️ She is back home now – so we use been.
11. Our son has just _____ to Spain. He really loved the trip.
✅ been
ℹ️ We use ‘been’ because their son has returned home.
12. Jamie has ______ on a long trip to the Amazon rainforest. He will be back soon though.
✅ gone
ℹ️ Jamie is away at the moment, so we use ‘gone’.
13. I have _____ to many famous places in Paris.
✅ been
ℹ️ This person has returned from Paris, and the experience is now in the past.
14. My sister has ______ to university, and now she’s working as a fashion designer.
✅ been
ℹ️ This is something she has done in the past.
15. Have you _____ to Mexico?
✅ been
ℹ️ This person is asking about someone’s past experience.
16. A) Where are they?
B) I don’t know. Maybe they’ve ____ shopping
✅ gone
ℹ️ These people are away at present, so we use ‘gone’.
17. A) What did you do today?
B) We have ______ to see my son play football with his school team.
✅ been
ℹ️ They have finished watching the football match and it is in the past, so we use ‘been’.
18. They travel a lot. This year they have _____ to China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
✅ been
ℹ️ They are talking about finished things other people have done this year.
19. Email automatic reply:
Hi everyone. This is a quick message to say I am away at the moment and I’ve ______ to Sri Lanka for 2 weeks. I will reply when I get home.
✅ gone
ℹ️ This person is away in Sri Lanka at the moment, so we use ‘gone’.
20. You’ve ______ to so many interesting countries. I’m jealous!
✅ been
ℹ️ This person is talking about someone’s past finished experiences.
Conversation Exercises using 'been' and 'gone'
Common Expressions
“He’s been and gone!”
Somebody was here, but now they are not.
“He’s just gone”
We use ‘just’ if somebody has recently gone somewhere.
“Have you ever been to Barcelona?”
In questions we use ‘ever’.
