This question from Forum member forces20 came in by e-mail (November 9, 2010):
Hi, sir Joe!
Until now, I still don’t know which sentence is correct: “Did you notice?” or “Have you noticed?” When do you need to use each of them?
Also the sentences below:
“Did you see that?”
or
“Have you seen that?”
My reply to forces20:
All of the questions above are correct when asked in their respective proper contexts.
“Did you notice?” is in the interrogative past-tense form. We normally use this form of the question when asking someone about a brief, short-term, or one-time action, occurrence, or activity that took place right before the moment the question is asked, or at least not very long before that moment. The question will usually figure in a conversation like this:
“Did you notice?”
“What?”
“She winked at you!”
“Oh, did she?”
“She did, just a while ago—but I guess you weren’t paying attention.”
On the other hand, “Have you noticed?” is in the interrogative present-perfect form. We normally use this form of the question when asking someone about an extended or habitual action, occurrence, or activity that took place or has been subsisting for some time in the recent past up to the moment the question is asked, or at least not very long before that moment. The question will usually figure in a conversation like this:
“Have you noticed?”
“What?”
“She’s wearing the same dress she wore yesterday!”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, exactly the same dress.”
“I haven’t noticed. I guess I’ve been too distracted to notice.”
The questions “Did you see that?” and “Have you seen that?” apply to a set of situations somewhat different from those in which “Did you notice?” or “Have you noticed” is used. The presence of the pointing pronoun “that” indicates that the action, occurrence, or activity took place close to or within the sight of both the speaker and the person being spoken to. The question “Did you see that?” normally will be asked when the proximate action, occurrence, or activity is already over. On the other hand, “Have you seen that?” will be asked when the proximate action, occurrence, or activity has been subsisting or has continued up to the moment the question is asked.
Keep in mind, though, that the above grammatical distinctions between these question forms are largely formal and will often be scrupulously observed only in writing. They usually won’t be strictly followed or even noticed in real-life conversations—except, of course, by overly strict grammarians talking among themselves. This being the case, you won’t lose face if you happen to break the rules for them every now and then. There’s also no point in losing sleep if you discover that you have unknowingly broken the rules during a particular conversation.
