what would you have done differently? vs What would you do differently?

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'What would you have done differently?' is used when referring to a specific past situation, while 'What would you do differently?' is used when discussing a hypothetical or future scenario.

Last updated: March 22, 2024 • 1269 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to a specific past situation.

"what would you have done differently?"

This phrase is used to ask someone about what actions they would have taken differently in a specific past scenario.

Examples:

What would you have done differently in that project?
What would you have done differently if you were in my shoes?
What would you have done differently if you had known the outcome?
What would you have done differently in that situation?
What would you have done differently to avoid the mistake?

Show examples from the web [+]

If you knew it before she left, what would you have done differently?
What would you have done differently if you'd known?
What should have been done differently?
In your life, isn't there something you wish you'd done differently?
What would you have done with a child?
What would you have done in my situation?
What would you have done for claire?
What would you have done five years ago?
What would you have done if Regina had spotted you back there?
And what would you have done if I did?
What would you have done for your son?
What would you have done, Dr. Hudson?
I mean, what would you have done?
What would you have done if you thought that implosion might not work?
What would you have done if Lady Grantham hadn't asked me to stay?
What would you have done with that information?
What would you have done had you been ruling?
What would you have done to reverse the debt?
What would you have done if you couldn't give Carla the pill?
What would you have done, if the lift door had opened that day?

Alternatives:

What could you have done differently?
What should you have done differently?
What might you have done differently?
What would you have changed?
What would you have improved?

This phrase is correct and commonly used when discussing a hypothetical or future scenario.

"What would you do differently?"

This phrase is used to ask someone about what actions they would take differently in a hypothetical or future situation.

Examples:

What would you do differently if you had the chance?
What would you do differently in your next job?
What would you do differently if you were in charge?
What would you do differently if you could go back in time?
What would you do differently to achieve better results?

Show examples from the web [+]

If you had it to do again, What would you do differently?
I did my spiel, and Lorenzo said, "What would you do differently?"
But specifically, what would you do differently?
Okay. So what would you do differently?
But I'd like to leave you with just that question: If you began to think of all the information that you consume the way you think of food, what would you do differently?
So, tell me, this time... when you go back, what will you do differently?
What did you guys do differently?
If you knew it before she left, what would you have done differently?
What if I had been raised differently?
What should have been done differently?
To us Americans, it sounds horrible to think of abandoning or killing your own sick wife or husband or elderly mother or father, but what could those traditional societies do differently?
Like, what if things had gone a little differently?
Just what if it expected her to handle it differently?
But what if she looks at me differently?
How would I know what I was doing differently?
How come we assess things differently?
Well, what if you did it differently?
What if they speak out, think differently?
Why will my son act differently?
When did you see her differently?

Alternatives:

What could you do differently?
What should you do differently?
What might you do differently?
What would you change?
What would you improve?

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what would you have done differently? vs What would you do differently?