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had spent vs have spent

Both "had spent" and "have spent" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Had spent" is in the past perfect form, which indicates that an action occurred before another past action. On the other hand, "have spent" is in the present perfect form, which means an action started in the past and has relevance to the present.
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Explained by Vince
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: July 28, 2024 • 37761 views

had spent

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English in the past perfect tense.

Use "had spent" in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that occurred before another past action. For example, "She had spent all her money before she realized her mistake."

Examples:

  • He had spent all his savings before he lost his job.
  • By the time we arrived, they had spent all the food.
  • She had spent hours preparing for the exam, but she still failed.
  • I had spent years working on that project before it was canceled.
  • They had spent a lot of time planning the event, but it was canceled at the last minute.
  • Jul 15, 2020 ... But I'd you're talking about something that was done before something else in the past (e.g. “I had spent most of my life overseas before I ...
  • Jun 15, 2020 ... Which tense would be appropriate in this case - past perfect simple or past simple? "After he had spent some of the money, he decided to find ...
  • Jul 31, 2009 ... "had spent" to be used but the past simple sounds absolutely fine here, I suspect it's the use of 'before' that makes it ok, but I'm not sure about a rule.
  • Aug 16, 2022 ... I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad, as he had to transfer some money. I couldn't resist myself & asked.
  • Nov 28, 2020 ... John had spent 3 years in London before he became a teacher. :tick ... In 4 and 5, "spent" and "had spent" are also ok. So the ...
  • Feb 26, 2021 ... My last words will serve to eliminate a cliché. I plan to be the first dying person to say, “I wish I had spent more time at the office.”
  • Nov 2, 2020 ... "It's a trust exercise. I had spent a long time thinking about how to bridge the border between performer and audience.
  • Mar 3, 2024 ... 636 likes, 16 comments - jbadventurer on March 3, 2024: "My buddy @xanderbudnick stopped by after he had spent the night in freezing ...
  • You've probably heard the old saying by Rabbi Harold Kushner…Nobody on their deathbed has ever said “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” My father ...

Alternatives:

  • had used
  • had consumed
  • had utilized
  • had exhausted
  • had employed

have spent

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English in the present perfect tense.

Use "have spent" in the present perfect tense to indicate an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present. For example, "I have spent all day cleaning the house."

Examples:

  • She has spent a lot of time studying for the exam.
  • We have spent a week in Paris.
  • He has spent all his money on that car.
  • They have spent years building their business.
  • I have spent hours looking for my keys.
  • 2 days ago ... 1.4K votes, 423 comments. Hi, Today I discovered you can check how much you have spent on Steam, so I was curious if you guys knew that ?
  • Jun 10, 2019 ... Been using Play Store to purchase in-app items/tokens etc for a few years and today I wanted to check how much money I have spent in one ...
  • Nov 26, 2022 ... I have now played over 10 years and have spent 1100 USD so that makes it roughly 0,3 dollars per day. Not too bad.
  • Aug 21, 2020 ... Is there a way to view or download data on how much time I have spent on different chapters in codecademy? 2 Likes. kikkong November 18, 2020 ...
  • Jun 25, 2024 ... Steam users have spent $19 billion on games they've never played. My Pile of Shame is nowhere near as bad as others, I ...
  • I wish I would have spent more time at the office! ... You've probably heard the old saying by Rabbi Harold Kushner…Nobody on their deathbed has ever said “I wish ...
  • Mar 16, 2023 ... I am looking to create a segment of customers who have spent $1000 within the last 180 days. However, as we offer subscriptions, many of our subscribers have ...
  • Dec 21, 2022 ... How to check the total money I have spent on Microsoft at one tims. Am I able to check all of my money spent at one time. This thread is ...
  • 4 days ago ... I have spent three decades working in Corporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion always knowing that there was a structural limitation to the ...
  • Jul 31, 2024 ... Kroger announced its plan to acquire one of its biggest rivals, Albertsons, and during that time, the two companies have spent an estimated $864 million on ...

Alternatives:

  • have used
  • have consumed
  • have utilized
  • have exhausted
  • have employed

Related Comparisons

we spent vs we have spent it has broken. vs it got broken. you spent vs you've spent pipe has broken. vs pipe is broken. has relatively spent vs had relatively spent Childhood has been spent vs childhood spent in early

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