EnglishClub ESL Forums

Hello,

(a) I have never been fishing.
(b) I have never gone fishing.

My queries:

1) Are both of the sentences grammatically correct?
2) If yes, what is the semantical difference between them?

As a learner of EFL, I can't understand the nuance in meaning? Could any native (!) speaker explain thoroughly?

Thanks in advance.

Interesting question.
Yes, both sentences are grammatically correct.

There's a slight difference in meaning because 'been' is used to include an outward and return trip whereas 'gone' implies only the former. Sometimes this is important.
e.g.
'He's gone to Russia' would usually mean he's still in Russia now.
'He's been to Russia' would cover the whole return trip.

But in your example sentences, the distinction is not important as the person has never done either.
In terms of fine nuance, (a) and (b) might conjure up slightly different images in the speaker's or listener's imagination.