I did or I have done

Question

What's the difference between "Did you find out...?" or "Have you found out...?".People seem to use both but I'd like to know which one would be the correct way to say it.Thank you!Sabine

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

In theory, 'have you found out . . . ' makes ithe question seem more important to the present situation, but really both forms are used pretty interchangably.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

BieneWhat's the difference between "Did you find out...?" or "Have you found out...?".

I think that if I had been waiting impatiently for you to find out, I would be asking "Have you found out?" because it's relevant to me right now. I'm personally more involved and concerned about your finding out. What you may have found out is important to me at this very moment.

On the other hand, if you were just finding out something of interest to you of which there was no special hurry, for example, if you just wanted to find out the chemical formula for aspirin and you had mentioned it to me weeks ago, then I'd be inclined to ask "Did you find out?" or "Did you ever find out?" or "Did you eventually find out?"

In a way, it all depends how important it is to me, the speaker, at the time I ask.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

The rules are quite confusing. However, there are some things to keep in mind

1. An action performed multiple times in the past with the possibility of doing it again requires the form "I have done." For instance, I have always/frequently/couple of times etc. bought gas at this station. And I will probably do it again." It could also be a negative construction with "never": " I have never done this before."

2. An action that has taken a long time/several hours/days/years etc. requires "I have done." For instance, "I have spent hours discussing this problem with him." I have worked for ten hours, and I'm tired."

3. An action that has been completed, as in "I have finished this assignment."

These are just a few instances where "I have done" is not interchangeable with "I did."

On the other hand, there are situations where you use simple past only.

1. When you narrate a story/event that happened sometime in the past and is completely disassociated from the present. For instance:" When I was a child, we lived in Ohio. My dad worked at a factory. My mom was a homemaker." etc.

2. When there is a sequence of events/actions in the past occurring consecutively within the same sentence. For instance:
"Having completed his work on his first novel, he immediately started writing the next one."

There are, of course, more rules. But this is probably too long already.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Anonymous this is probably too long already.

And a little late: the original thread ran for one day in 2010.

I did or I have done

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