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You wife (partner/friend) went to the shop to buy some food. She knew that among other things she had to buy some bread.

She has already returned home. You aren't talking to her about the shop or about any events of the past.

You only want to know if the bread is purchased, since right now you are hungry and want a sandwich.

What would be your most typical question: "Have you bought it?" or "Did you buy it?"

Thanks! (Please, name the country you are from, as it is really interesting if there are any differences between UK / US / Canadian / Indian habits of speaking). Thanks again!

Pyotr Sobolev
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1 Answers1

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Either is possible, but British English prefers the present perfect and American English prefers the simple past.

Also, the present perfect focuses on the present result = do you have the bread now, whereas the simple past focuses on the past action = did you buy the bread when you were in the shop?

Apparently AE is influencing BE as well, so past simple is used a lot. (I'm Dutch by the way, but I've asked this question myself.)

Mari-Lou A
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anouk
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  • This is not true at all. I really have no idea where this myth originated. BrE speakers use the simple past just like AmE speakers. No one would say "Have you bought bread?" for "Did you buy bread?" In cases like that, it depends on what the speaker means and wants to say regardless of geography. – Lambie May 23 '22 at 13:57
  • @Lambie What do you mean by this: " No one would say "Have you bought bread?" for "Did you buy bread?" – anouk May 23 '22 at 14:51
  • I mean that if a person means either of those, they will use one or the other, And there is no influencing of British English re the simple past. That is simply not true. – Lambie May 23 '22 at 15:46