Past Tense of Go | Explanation, Definition & Examples

Go is an irregular verb meaning “move” or “leave.” It is one of the more confusing verbs in English because the simple past is the apparently unrelated word went (e.g., “Asif went to the hospital yesterday”).

The past participle of “go” is gone (e.g., “Elaine had gone to great lengths to accommodate everyone’s needs”).

Past tense of go in a sentence examples
Simple past of go Past participle of go
The new car went like a rocket.

Sonia was 16 when she first went to the Olympics as a competitor.

Everyone was having so much fun, and the time went so quickly.

He had no idea where the money had gone.

They had gone to use the pool as soon as they arrived at the hotel.

The days have come and gone with dizzying speed.

Note
The confusing nature of the simple past tense of go is because of a process called “suppletion,” whereby a word is used that isn’t etymologically connected to fill a gap. Went is the original past tense and past participle of the verb “wend,” which has a meaning similar to go.

Another example of suppletion is “better” as the comparative form of the adjective “good.”

Past tense of go

The simple past of go is went for all singular and plural subjects (i.e., “I,” “we,” “you,” and “they”).

Past tense of go in a sentence examples
The road was narrow and steep and went dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

Every day was bliss; they had breakfast, went to the beach, and then came home again.

Marie was surprised to learn that Janine went to the same dentist as she did.

Past participle of go

Although gone, the past participle of go, is not regular, it is less confusing than went (and it shares the same pattern as “do/done”).

Past participle of go in a sentence examples
Petr sighed when he saw from the departure board that his train had already gone.

The share price had gone up dramatically when the annual report was released.

Naomi wondered why she had gone to all that trouble, as it seemed that nobody else cared.

Frequently asked questions about the past tense of go

Is went a verb?

Went is the simple past tense of “go,” meaning “travel” or “leave.” Go does not follow the regular pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense or past participle.

You will sometimes hear or see went used as the past participle in informal contexts (e.g., “I had went to see her”), but this is never correct in formal English or academic writing.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using verbs like “went” correctly.

Is go a verb?

Go is a very common and versatile verb meaning “travel,” “move,” or “leave.” It is also a noun in the sense of “turn” or “attempt” (e.g., “It’s your go” or “Have a go yourself”).

The simple past tense of “go” is “went.”

Is this article helpful?
Trevor Marshall, MSc

Trevor has a BA in English Literature & Language and an MSc in Applied Social Studies. He has been a teacher for 25 years, with 15 years experience teaching ESL alongside 1st language students.