Q: I wonder if you can answer a question for me. I often hear people from eastern New Jersey say “I could have went” instead of “I could have gone.” Are they both correct? Or is one the more proper usage?
A: “I could have gone” is correct. “I could have went” is not. Here’s how to use the verb “go” in various tenses.
Simple tenses: I go … I went … I will go … I would (or could) go.
Perfect tenses: I have gone … I had gone … I will have gone … I would have (or could have) gone.
Use “could” in the same way you’d use “would”:
Simple: I would (or could) go.
Perfect: I would have (or could have) gone.
I hope this helps.
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