"he does not know" vs "he did not know"

Question

"he does not know" vs "he did not know"

Both "he did not know" and "he does not know" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "He did not know" is used to talk about something that happened in the past, while "he does not know" is used to talk about something in the present or as a general statement.

Last Updated: March 08, 2024

This phrase is used to refer to a current situation where someone lacks knowledge or information, or as a general statement about someone's knowledge.

Examples:

He does not know the answer to the question.
She does not know how to swim.
They do not know where the keys are.
I do not know what to do next.
The teacher does not know the students' names.

Alternatives:

he is unaware
he lacks knowledge
he is uninformed
he is clueless
he is ignorant

This phrase is used to refer to a situation in the past where someone lacked knowledge or information.

Examples:

He did not know about the surprise party we planned for him.
She did not know the answer to the question.
They did not know the way to the restaurant.
I did not know you were coming to visit.
The teacher did not know the students were cheating.

Alternatives:

he was not aware
he was uninformed
he was clueless
he lacked knowledge
he was ignorant

Answer 1

he does not know

This phrase is correct and commonly used to talk about something in the present or as a general statement.

Answer 2

he did not know

This phrase is correct and commonly used to talk about something that happened in the past.

"he does not know" vs "he did not know"

he does not know

he did not know

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