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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Tenses

I have a friend who uses "done" wrong in sentences constantly. She has said that she uses it correctly. For example, if I ask her "Did you call so and so?", she will respond, "Yes, I done it yesterday", instead of saying "Yes, I did it yesterday.". Who is crazy her or me?
  

Top answer

It sounded like "I done it" but it is "I' d done it" In fact a simple past would have done the job. " Likewise, Did you call ....? should be responded with "Yes I did"or "no I didn't"

— Goodman

  • It sounded like "I done it" but it is "I' d done it" In fact a simple past would have done the job.
  • " Likewise, Did you call ....?
  • should be responded with "Yes I did"or "no I didn't"
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9 Answers
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It sounded like "I done it" but it is "I'd done it" In fact a simple past would have done the job.

If you ask ":Have you...." the answer should be responded with "Yes,I have, or no I haven't..."

Likewise, Did you call ....? should be responded with "Yes I did"or "no I didn't"
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Anonymous Who is crazy her or me?
(She or I?) Hey, nobody's perfect!

"I did it yesterday" is correct.

"I done it" is a common mistake. It's not an accident. She probably learned it from her parents. If her teachers in school were unable to change her habits, it's unlik
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This is one of the core differences which characterize the African American English (AAE) dialect.
AAE has been studied by professional linguists and there are many web sites discussing its grammar, speech patterns, etc.
So she is using it correctly in the AAE dialect, but it is not correct in Standard American English.
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Goodman Likewise, Did you call ..? should be responded with "Yes I did"or "no I didn't"
What about, "Didn't you call?"?
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AlpheccaStars So she is using it correctly in the AAE dialect
This is a fairly recent advent. There were plenty of kids who spoke this dialect in my grammar school in New Hampshire, and none of them were African American.

- A.
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GoodmanIt sounded like "I done it" but it is "I'd done it"
Based on the original post and the example given, I rather doubt that the original poster was mishearing anything. This non-standard use of "done" can even be heard in the UK (gasp!).

Don't forget the question "Who done it?". That has found its way in
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AlpheccaStars This is one of the core differences which characterize the African American English (AAE) dialect.
I'm hearing really often in doo-wop and R&B from the fifties.
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AvangiThis is a fairly recent advent. There were plenty of kids who spoke this dialect in my grammar school in New Hampshire, and none of them were African American.

- A.
Well, maybe there are other dialects / slangs using "done" as the past of "do". AAE is one of them for sure.

Can we agree that it isn't correct (British / American ) Sta
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Who said anything about the speaker being black?
I know more whites than blacks who say the non-standard "I done it".

And nobody's crazy.

CJ
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