AEE 189: Your Last English Grammar Problem Solved

<p><strong>Taking IELTS?</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.allearsenglish.com/training">Get our free IELTS video training course now</a></strong></p> <p><strong>Talking about your past, should you say did or have done?</strong></p> <p><strong>Today, in #9 of our countdown of the Top 15 Fixes in English series, we’ll be discussing how to handle past experiences and accomplishments in English!</strong></p> <p>If somebody says, “I have done that,” how is it different from saying “I did that?”  The difference can seem tricky but the key is the context.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Here is a simple way to think about this:</strong></p> <ul> <li>When using <strong>have done</strong>, you are zooming out, outside of yourself and to a big picture.  You might be talking about your entire lifetime, or the distant past.</li> <li>When using <strong>did</strong>, you are zooming in to something more recent and maybe more simple.  You may also be talking about a specific time period that is now over.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Here are some more examples:</strong></p> <ul> <li>“I did go to Paris last week.”</li> <li>“I didn’t watch any TV yesterday.”</li> <li>“I have been to Paris, but not since childhood.”</li> <li>“I have watched a lot of TV in my lifetime.”</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Other Entries in the 15 Fixes Series:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://allearsenglish.com/aee-165/"><span style="color: #000000;">Episode 165</span></a>: Listen or Hear?</strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://allearsenglish.com/aee-169/"><span style="color: #000000;">Episode 169</span></a>: Speak, Talk, Tell and Say?</strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://allearsenglish.com/aee-173-wish-vs-hope-english-whats-difference/"><span style="color: #000000;">Episode 173:</span></a> Wish vs. Hope</strong></li> <li><strong><a href="http://allearsenglish.com/aee-177-talk-age-english/?preview=true&preview_id=2814&preview_nonce=387f90f9c1&post_format=standard"><span style="color: #000000;">Episode 177