he has borrowed a book already vs he had borrowed a book already

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'He has borrowed a book already' is used in the present perfect tense to indicate an action that happened at an unspecified time before now. 'He had borrowed a book already' is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed before a certain point in the past.

Last updated: March 26, 2024 • 1033 views

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

"he has borrowed a book already"

This phrase is used in the present perfect tense to indicate an action that happened at an unspecified time before now. It implies that the borrowing of the book occurred recently.

Examples:

He has borrowed a book already, so he doesn't need to get another one.
I can't lend you that book; he has borrowed it already.

Show examples from the web [+]

Very funny, using the name Chasing Life when you know there's a book already being shopped around with that title.
I'll be a minute. Luke borrowed a book, I need it back.
You're a man who has borrowed all over Europe.
the natural or legal person has borrowed the share
I borrowed a friend's snowmobile.
We borrowed a copy this morning.
Throughout its history, Islam has borrowed and adapted from other civilizations both ancient and modern.
We have reason to believe that the Duke has borrowed $2 million from some plutocrat and is speculating on the currency markets through a bank in Mexico.
Besides, your book already saved one life.
- I see you got your books already.
I actually bought the book already.
I borrowed a mop in case things get out of hand.
I borrowed a pair of your boxers.
Turns out I borrowed a nylon bag of death.
You borrowed a phone charger a few months back.
Okay, so maybe I borrowed a few drops of your precious detergent.
I borrowed a few pointers from the five point restraint.
I've already borrowed a cart from Ostaszewski.
Alexis borrowed a cell phone from a girl here.
Lacey borrowed a necklace of mine.

Alternatives:

He borrowed a book already.
He has already borrowed a book.
He has borrowed that book before.
He has already borrowed a book from the library.
He has borrowed books before.

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

"he had borrowed a book already"

This phrase is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed before a certain point in the past. It implies that the borrowing of the book occurred before another past event.

Examples:

He had borrowed a book already when I asked him for it.
By the time I got to the library, he had borrowed the book already.

Show examples from the web [+]

It was typical that even now as he neared our lines, he was riding a horse he had borrowed from the Confederates.
His friends were looked up, and they put his disappearance down to the fact that he had borrowed some money and could not pay it back.
Zorzi went to him to give him back the coat he had borrowed from him.
Mr Borghezio relied in particular on the fact that, during a demonstration prompted by the well-known judgment in a terrorist case, he had expressed his political opinion by writing the word "Disgrace" on the pavement using a spray can he had borrowed from another demonstrator.
When summoned to report 20-odd hours later,... the defendant refused to accompany Conductor 71,... giving as his reason that in the time which he had borrowed... he had accumulated new responsibilities... of an allegedly important and permanent nature.
Michikowill bring the money, I had borrowed a little more.
Very funny, using the name Chasing Life when you know there's a book already being shopped around with that title.
I'll be a minute. Luke borrowed a book, I need it back.
Tony told me you had borrowed Gavins car and that you were gone all day.
Maximilian had borrowed huge sums at excessively high interest rates to deal with the uprising against him.
I heard his wife had borrowed money from a lot of people.
To finance these wars, the British Parliament had borrowed heavily from the Bank.
Pretty soon, other businesses had borrowed the same techniques.
Throughout the 1920s speculators had borrowed billions of dollars.
- All I asked was if maybe you had borrowed that sweater from a person without a home.
I borrowed a friend's snowmobile.
We borrowed a copy this morning.
Besides, your book already saved one life.
- I see you got your books already.
I actually bought the book already.

Alternatives:

He had already borrowed a book.
He had borrowed that book before.
He had already borrowed a book from the library.
He had borrowed books before.
He had borrowed a book previously.

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he has borrowed a book already vs he had borrowed a book already