gone

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "gone" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to describe something that has been removed or departed from a certain place. For example: "The last of the party guests had finally gone, and the house was quiet again."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Gone too soon.

The New York Times

That time is gone.

The New York Times

"With Rick gone, and with him the chance of ever doing it again, it feels right that these revisited and reworked tracks should be made available as part of our repertoire".

The Guardian - Music

It's gone full cycle and it ends on a high note".

The Guardian

"But I look at people who have been in politics for five, 10, 15 years, and muck up, you see them muck up and think, 'You guys are supposed to be pro!' "People that have gone to Oxbridge, had thousands spent on their education, and I mean they are royally mucking up".

The Guardian - Sport

Has the world gone mad?

The Guardian - Opinion

He's gone rogue.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

But it's gone".

The New York Times

The players went out after the game to say thank you to the supporters but if I had been a supporter, I would have gone home.

The Guardian - Sport

The Museums at Night festival, now in its seventh year, has gone from just 50 events to 650, all hosted at night and often under the stars.

The Guardian

When asked to respond to Simon Cowell's recent comment that Clarkson "started to fight against what made her successful … one minute she wants to make pop records, and then she doesn't," she laughs loudly again, but there's a distinct flash of anger as she says: "Everyone's aware that My Life Would Suck Without You and Already Gone were huge pop hits, right?

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "gone" with adverbs to add precision. For example, "gone completely", "gone forever", or "gone astray".

Common error

Avoid using "gone" as a standalone verb. It requires an auxiliary verb like "has", "have", "had", "is", "are", "was", or "were". Incorrect: "He gone to the store." Correct: "He has gone to the store."

Linguistic Context

The word "gone" primarily functions as a past participle of the verb 'go', often used with auxiliary verbs such as 'has', 'have', 'had', 'is', 'are', 'was', or 'were' to indicate a completed action or a state resulting from a past event. As Ludwig AI explains, it is a correct and usable term in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

95%

Science

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "gone" is a versatile word primarily used as the past participle of 'go', indicating a completed action or a state of absence. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable status in written English. It sees frequent usage across various contexts, particularly in news and media, signaling its adaptability. Common errors include using "gone" as a standalone verb without an auxiliary. Alternative terms such as "vanished", "disappeared", and "departed" provide semantically related options for different levels of formality. Ludwig shows that it's often used to convey a sense of completion, absence, or past events, making it a vital word in many forms of communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

vanished

Indicates a sudden and complete disappearance.

disappeared

Implies something is no longer visible or present.

departed

Suggests a formal leaving or exit.

passed away

Euphemistic term for death.

no longer present

States directly that something isn't there anymore.

out of sight

Implies something is no longer within view.

not here

A simple way of saying something is absent.

evaporated

Suggests a gradual disappearance, like water turning into vapor.

dissipated

Implies something has scattered or faded away.

faded

Suggests a gradual loss of visibility or presence.

FAQs

How can I use "gone" in a sentence to indicate something is finished?

You can use "gone" with auxiliary verbs like "has", "have", or "is" to indicate completion or a past state. For example, "The food is "all gone"" or "The opportunity "has gone"".

What's a more formal alternative to "gone"?

Depending on the context, more formal alternatives might include "departed", "vanished", or "disappeared". For instance, instead of "He's gone", you could say "He has "already departed"".

Can "gone" be used to describe a person's state?

Yes, "gone" can be used colloquially to describe someone who is dead (e.g., "He's "gone but not forgotten"") or someone who is intoxicated to the point of being unaware (e.g., "He's completely "totally gone"").

How does the meaning of "gone" differ from "went"?

"Went" is the past tense of "go", indicating the action of traveling or moving to a place. "Gone" is the past participle, often used with auxiliary verbs to indicate a completed action or a current state resulting from a past action. For example, "He went to the store yesterday" (action) vs. "He has "already gone to the store"" (completed action).