Tuesday, May 23, 2017

past tense - What is the difference beetween "You decided" and "You did decide"


I know that "You decided" is simple past, but I've never ever seen this kind of construction until I listened it in a song (You did decide):



Pronoun + Simple Past(Past assistant did) + simple present




Then, what is the difference? Does this construction really exit?



Answer



In simple sentences, we don't usually use the verb to do to indicate the tense(past/present). It only occurs in a question(interrogative)



did you decide it? -past


do you decide it? -present



However, you can use it in simple sentence for emphasis




You decided it. - simple past tense


You did decide it. -simple past tense but more emphatic.



EDIT: It also occurs in negative sentences



I don't decide it


I didn't decide it



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