"I had to wake up early" vs "I've had to wake up early"

Question

"I had to wake up early" vs "I've had to wake up early"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'I've had to wake up early' implies that the speaker has had the experience of needing to wake up early multiple times in the past, while 'I had to wake up early' simply states that the speaker needed to wake up early on a specific occasion.

Last Updated: March 29, 2024

This phrase is used to indicate a specific occasion in the past when the speaker needed to wake up early.

Examples:

I had to wake up early yesterday for a meeting.
She had to wake up early to catch the early train.

Alternatives:

I needed to wake up early
I was required to wake up early

This phrase is used to indicate that the speaker has experienced the need to wake up early multiple times in the past.

Examples:

I've had to wake up early every day this week.
She's had to wake up early for work for years.

Alternatives:

I have had to wake up early
I've needed to wake up early

Answer 1

I had to wake up early

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

I've had to wake up early

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"I had to wake up early" vs "I've had to wake up early"

I had to wake up early

I've had to wake up early

Related Comparisons