grammaticality - Difference between "did + verb" and just "verb+ed"



This is something I always get confuse with (native language German). As far as I know "did + verb" is something done and finished in the past. But isn't it the same with "verb + ed"?



Answer



The normal way of talking about something in the past tense is to use "verb + ed". For example, "I finished the project on time".


You might use "did + verb" if you wanted to emphasise the point. In the previous example, if someone claimed that you completed the project late, you might say "I did finish the project on time, and here's the evidence".


Using "did + verb" where there is no doubt about the truth sounds strange to native English speakers. Saying something like "I did go shopping for food yesterday" will probably lead to the response "Well nobody said you didn't!"


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