"Because someone left the toaster on the wrong setting.".
Note that Jon would also use the did form if he expected (to make or receive) a continuation in a past tense form like did, was doing, had done, etc, like: Jon is being "neutral" in the same sense here: he's not soliciting any response or leading into any continuation. That is, the asker just wants to know the simple factual answer to the question. In both cases, the answer could be "yes" or "no", but 1 is "naggier" than 2 because it vaguely implies the asker saying something like "if you haven't yet, then you should do it now" (even if they don't actually say anything extra later), whereas 2 is more "neutral". Or expects Garfield to respond with a statement or question with a verb form like that.Īnd when I say it would imply that, I mean that neither of them has to actually respond with an utterance with any verb form, or have any exact utterance in mind. That would imply that he's gonna say something like: eg: "I've burned too much toast in my life. (It could also be followed by a does form the does form is just more restricted for the same reason it always is: for "normal" verbs, it can usually only be used with a habitual meaning. The has done form would imply a following statement or question in some sort of present or future tense verb form like is doing, will do, is gonna do, etc, or another has done (eg: "I haven't done it yet, because he hasn't paid me yet"). (By which I mean, it's a relatively complex and subtle part of the grammar.)īut the usage of the did form here is not in any way a weird exceptional case that misrepresents normal usage. I mean, yes, it probably will be confusing to students, because the English tense-aspect system is confusing. This comic is a perfectly normal example of the way that the did form is used. No, the has done form would not have been more correct. Quick googling, I guess you mean this comic?
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