Did you? [OR] Had you?
Hello, everyone! :)
I'll be really happy if you can help me with two questions below. First, let's imagine that my friend went to the hairdresser yesterday and got her hair cut. So I met my friend and she says: Didn't you notice that I had got my hair cut? What should I say:

1) Did you? (Past Simple, because she got her hair cut yesterday)
2) Had you? (Past Perfect, because there was Past Perfect tense in my friend's question)

Thank you all for your help! :)

Question

Did you? [OR] Had you?
Hello, everyone! :)
I'll be really happy if you can help me with two questions below. First, let's imagine that my friend went to the hairdresser yesterday and got her hair cut. So I met my friend and she says: Didn't you notice that I had got my hair cut? What should I say:

1) Did you? (Past Simple, because she got her hair cut yesterday)
2) Had you? (Past Perfect, because there was Past Perfect tense in my friend's question)

Thank you all for your help! :)

Answer

I would rephrase your friend's question like this:
"Have you noticed that... (as opposed to "did you notice", which refers to the past, but you are having this conversation in the present)
a. ...I had my hair cut?" (past simple - focusing on the event: her trip at the hairdresser that happened in the past)
b. ...I've had my hair cut?" (present perfect - focusing on the result in the present: her hair is short)
Past perfect is not necessary in this scenario, because there is no other past event mentioned.
(Compare:  "When my husband saw me yesterday evening, I had already got my hair cut.")

So, based on these, your reaction can be:
a. "Oh, did you?"
b. "Oh, have you?"

And as the others mentioned, change the topic quickly :)

Answer

A typical response would be

"I hadn't noticed." [until you mentioned it]
"It looks nice!" [moving on ... with a compliment]
"Did you go to your usual stylist?" [moving on ... and away from the awkward situation of not having noticed]

Answer

Did you? :)

Answer

I would rephrase your friend's question like this:
"Have you noticed that... (as opposed to "did you notice", which refers to the past, but you are having this conversation in the present)
a. ...I had my hair cut? (past simple - focusing on the event: her trip at the hairdresser that happened in the past)
b. ...I've had my hair cut? (present perfect - focusing on the result in the present: her hair is short)
Past perfect is not necessary in this scenario, because there is no other past event mentioned.
(Compare:  "When my husband saw me yesterday evening, I had already got my hair cut.")

So, based on these, your reaction can be:
a. Oh, did you?
b. Oh, have you?

And as the others mentioned, change the topic quickly :)

Antwoorden · 4

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