What's the Difference between "Been to" and "Gone to"?
Let's have a look at these two sentences:
Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses
- "David has been to Japan."
- "David has gone to Japan."
There sure is!
Gone to
"Gone to" means that you've traveled to some place and haven't returned yet.Examples:
- "Jessica has gone to the supermarket. I wonder when will she come back?"
- "Dennis has gone to France for the summer, so you can call again in September."
Been to
"Been to" means that you've traveled to some place and have already returned.Examples:
- "Mark has been to the supermarket. Now he's taking a shower."
- "Joe has been to France five times, so he is very familiar with it."
So… back to the original sentences, here is the difference between "gone to" and "been to":
David has been to Japan = David has traveled to Japan and back.
David has gone to Japan = David has traveled to Japan and hasn't returned yet.
Get Updates, Special Offers, and English Resources
Download your FREE GIFT (the first two chapters of
English Short Stories Book and Workbook)
as soon as you join!
By submitting your email, you consent to receiving updates and newsletters from us and to the sharing of your personal data with third parties for the purposes of sending you communications. We will not spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please see our privacy policy.
[?] Subscribe To This Site
