I must confess that I've done it vs I must confess that I did

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "I must confess that I've done it" is used when referring to a past action that has relevance to the present moment, while "I must confess that I did" is used when talking about a specific past action without emphasizing its connection to the present.

Last updated: March 20, 2024 • 658 views

I must confess that I've done it

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It indicates a past action that has relevance to the present moment.

This phrase is used when you want to confess to having done something in the past that has a connection to the present. The present perfect tense 'I've done it' emphasizes the relevance of the action to the current situation.

Examples:

I must confess that I've done it, and I regret it deeply.
I must confess that I've done it before, but I won't do it again.
I must confess that I've done it many times, and I'm not proud of it.
I must confess that I've done it recently, and I feel guilty about it.
I must confess that I've done it in the past, and it still haunts me.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jun 10, 2015 ... MusicLandWeLove. Maybe if the person is dating a vampire…. I got my red wings ! I must confess that I've done it once. You don't even notice a ...
Oct 28, 2011 ... But I must confess that I've done it once myself! (I truly hate myself for that). You want me to look at your products? Fine, either pay for decent ...

Alternatives:

I must confess that I have done it
I have to admit that I've done it
I need to confess that I've done it
I should confess that I've done it
I feel compelled to confess that I've done it

I must confess that I did

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It is used when referring to a specific past action without emphasizing its connection to the present.

This phrase is used when you want to confess to a particular action you did in the past. The simple past tense 'I did' is used to state the action without highlighting its relevance to the present.

Examples:

I must confess that I did break the vase, but it was an accident.
I must confess that I did lie to you, and I'm sorry.
I must confess that I did forget your birthday, and I feel terrible about it.
I must confess that I did cheat on the test, and I regret it.
I must confess that I did steal the money, but I will return it.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jan 18, 2016 ... I must confess that I did something on Saturday that I would never normally do. It may have been due to the influence of a couple of glasses of ...
I must confess that I did something on Saturday that I would never normally do. It may have been due to the influence of a couple of glasses of celebratory wine.
AS ONE of the contributors to the Social Text volume, I must confess that I did not initially detect Sokal's ruse. Instead, I was struck by how misplaced was his vast ...
Feb 1, 2016 ... ion and come to change the way I viewed nature and my place in it. I must confess that I did not read the entire book but enough to get a good.

Alternatives:

I must confess that I have done
I have to admit that I did
I need to confess that I did
I should confess that I did
I feel compelled to confess that I did

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I must confess that I've done it vs I must confess that I did