Difference Between Did and Done

Main Difference – Did vs Done

Some English learners make the mistake of confusing the two verb forms did and done. While did and done are both past forms of the verb do, there is a major difference between the two. The main difference between did and done is that did is the past tense of do whereas done is the past participle of do. The meaning and usage of these two verbs also differ based on this difference.

Did – Meaning and Usage

Did is the past tense of do. This form can be used in simple past tense of the do verb. For example,

I did everything possible to help them.

He did his homework without complaining.

We did all the hard work, but she got the credit.

Since do is also used as an auxiliary verb, did is used in the negations and interrogatives in the past tense.

Did you knock the door?

She did not know the right answer to the question.

I didn’t know you were here.

Did can be used alone in a sentence, without any other verbs. The first three examples are proof of this. Moreover, did usually come after a noun or pronoun.

He did all the hard work.

Done – Meaning and Usage

Done is the past participle of do. Since done is a past participle form, it cannot occur alone in a sentence. It is always accompanied by another verb. Look at the following sentences to understand this point clearly.

Marian has done the artwork.

They have not done it yet.

The baby has not done it before.

I had done it two times before.

Done is always accompanied by has, have and had in the following examples. In passive constructions, it can also be accompanied by various forms of be verb. (is, are, was, were, etc.)