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I would like to know which of the two sentences are correct

I am finished writing

or

I have finished writing

Eddie Kal
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Eki Osawe
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1 Answers1

2

Both are correct.

have finished is present perfect of the verb finish. Present perfect is used when an action completed in the past has an effect that lasts to the present. This version focuses on something that happened in the past, and its effect on the current situation.

In am finished, finished is an adjective: am describes the situation now, without any regard to what happened in the past.

This NGram shows that there is a growing difference between British and American usage.

have finished is the older and possibly more formal form, with am finished only starting to appear in about 1900. In the UK, the new form had a limited life and is now in decline: in the US, however, it has grown steadily in popularity and has now overtaken have finished.

I am British English and could easily imagine my grandmother saying am finished, but I would prefer to use have finished.

JavaLatte
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  • Please see this concerning how to properly refer to terms regarding Google Books Ngram Viewer. –  Jul 16 '18 at 15:32
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    @userr2684291: this answer predates snailboat's explanation. While I accept what he says, I do not propose to go back and update old questions. – JavaLatte Jul 17 '18 at 05:14
  • I would've updated your question for you already if I thought it necessary. I've just noticed your misusing the term and wanted to tell you the correct way to refer to these things (and I think snailboat explained it well herself) because you're one of the main contributors on this site and so are likely to (mis)use it further. –  Jul 17 '18 at 08:37