I have stayed vs I stayed

Both "I have stayed" and "I stayed" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "I have stayed" is used when you want to emphasize that the action of staying happened at an unspecified time in the past and may have relevance to the present. On the other hand, "I stayed" is used when you are simply stating that you stayed at a specific time in the past.

Last updated: April 04, 2024 • 490 views

I have stayed

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past with relevance to the present.

Use "I have stayed" when you want to emphasize that the action of staying happened at an unspecified time in the past and may have relevance to the present.

Examples:

I have stayed at that hotel before.
She has stayed in London for a year.
Have you ever stayed in a haunted house?

Show examples from the web [+]

Probably the best hostel I have stayed in.
Cleanest place I have stayed in NY
In the night I have stayed there were still 11 other Womos.
No coincidence that I have stayed in this house for two consecutive winters and I hope to get us back.
But I have stayed too long.
I have stayed too long.
I have stayed here several times and have always been very satisfied. I will gladly come back again. Michal M.
Jul 17, 2014 Ken Glasgow, UK Recommend "The best full board I have stayed in" 9 Once you get there the hotel is brilliant.
"The best full board I have stayed in" 9
This was one of the best hotels I have stayed in for ages, would highly recommend this, as quiet and yet easy to get into town by car and only 15 minutes from the airport.
Have to say that this is one of the nicest places I have stayed in - very friendly hosts, comfortable, great food, amazing value, beautiful children felt at home and enjoyed the animals and the lovely local scenery.
Sep 72014 Atila Budapest, Hungary Recommend "This hotel is one of the best." 9.7 This hotel is one of the best I have stayed in, an ideal example of what a 4 star hotel should represent.
But I have stayed too long.
That I have stayed in this house alone Waiting for you to come home.
I have stayed the same through this whole thing.
My husband and I have stayed in this cottage really nice and comfortable.
This was one of best apartments I have stayed in.
I have stayed in this farmhouse in may.
I have stayed healthy and made life work.
I have stayed in Kyoto for three days.

Alternatives:

I have been staying
I have lived
I have resided
I have lodged

I stayed

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate an action that happened at a specific time in the past.

Use "I stayed" when you are simply stating that you stayed at a specific time in the past.

Examples:

I stayed at the hotel last night.
She stayed with her parents during the holidays.
Did you stay at the party until the end?

Show examples from the web [+]

I stayed in Cordoba longer than planned.
I stayed in room Acacia but visited all apartments.
I stayed because the world needed me.
[Wenders] I stayed there the entire day.
I stayed with you to gather intelligence.
I stayed up all night studying for this quiz.
I stayed with my family farm Pratovalle for Easter.
I stayed in Olga's room incapable of moving a finger.
And I stayed to the end.
I stayed down south for a while.
I stayed within my two-mile radius.
No. I stayed in London until this afternoon.
I stayed to finish the house.
I stayed pretty close to the compound.
I stayed after 9 last night... restocking and sterilizing.
I stayed at Granny's because Cousin Ellen came in.
I stayed up till 1 0.
Yes, she's the reason I stayed.
I stayed young and beautiful while you just grew old.
I stayed because I assumed my responsibilities would expand.

Alternatives:

I was staying
I lodged
I resided
I lived

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Amazing! I like that the editors are REAL people and not A.I., like some use. The editors actually see clients as real people and not just apart of their job, and it shows. 💖"
moggie April 2025
"TextRanch has been a great help to me, especially at work because I often email my boss."
Jhey April 2025
"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023