I had worked vs I have worked

Both "I had worked" and "I have worked" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "I had worked" is used to talk about a past action that happened before another past action, while "I have worked" is used to talk about a past action that has relevance to the present.

Last updated: April 11, 2024 • 1288 views

I had worked

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to talk about a past action that happened before another past action.

Use "I had worked" when you want to refer to an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is often used in past perfect tense sentences.

Examples:

By the time I arrived, he had worked for three hours.
I had worked in that company for five years before I decided to leave.

Show examples from the web [+]

6 days ago ... Past perfect simple ( I had worked ) - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge ...
Jul 2, 2013 ... I had worked here for five years. I worked here for five years. Which one is gramatically correct. Does the first sentence mean that he worked ...
6 days ago ... Past perfect simple ( I had worked ) - gramática inglés y uso de palabras en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press.
Sep 18, 2016 ... I have worked (present perfect: actions in the past and continue until now) e.g I have worked for two months here. I had worked (past ...
I am proud that I had worked for him for 10 years. Or would it be was with the 2nd one to show something happened in the past?
Mar 24, 2019 ... I had worked at XYZ company before, after I worked at ABC company. worked = in the past. had worked = before that. It precedes the simple past ...
Everything I had worked for, all my years of study, had been to purchase for myself this one privilege: to see and experience more truths than those given ...
Mar 3, 2022 ... “Everything I had worked and paid for was for nothing”: School of Education students speak out. A+wide+shot+of+Morris+Hall+in+the+.
I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health.

Alternatives:

I had been working
I had already worked
I had finished working
I had completed my work

I have worked

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to talk about a past action that has relevance to the present.

Use "I have worked" when you want to refer to an action that was completed in the past and has relevance to the present moment. It is often used in present perfect tense sentences.

Examples:

I have worked in this company for ten years.
She has worked on this project since last month.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 10, 2024

... I have worked in Japan for 6 years`,but I dont work. ... I have worked in Japan for 6 years`,but I dont work there anymore,is it correct way to say it? or i ...
Mar 6, 2013 ... I have worked here for 20 years. The present perfect tense is used for repetitive or constant actions that began in the past and continue to ...
Apr 22, 2017 ... I have worked at Google for 10years. (I am still working). I worked at Google. (I no longer work). Share. Share a link to this answer. Copy link
Apr 13, 2012 ... Is it: Some projects I worked on OR I have worked on? Sorry about what may sounds as a stupid question, but the more I think about it, the more ...
Apr 17, 2024 ... "I worked in the hospital for five years" implies that I don't work there anymore. "I have worked in the hospital for five years" means that ...
Nov 4, 2022 ... "I have worked for 3 hours" and "I have been working for 3 hours". I know they are a different tense but meaning wise and when to use them it is hard for me to ...
Jan 4, 2006 ... Hello everybody, Could you tell me the difference between I have worked and I worked... It is: I worked closely with the Director... or I ...
Present perfect simple ( I have worked ) - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary.
Dec 13, 2023 ... I have been working on a project over a number of weeks and want to see how many hours I have worked on it. I have been looking at may auto saves and looking ...
Dec 15, 2018 ... 5y. You're absolutely right. “I have worked …” is the present perfect, and in this use it refers to something that happened in the past that ...

Alternatives:

I worked
I have been working
I have already worked
I have finished working

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