Finally/At last, you have got it.

Barman

Member
Joined
May 2, 2020
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Bengali; Bangla
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India
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India
1) Finally, you have got it!
2) At last you have got it!

Which one of the sentences mentioned above is correct?
 
What is the context?

I think the simple past tense is more natural.
 
1) Finally, you have got it!
2) At last, you have got it!

Which one of the sentences mentioned above is correct?
Note my corrections to your question.

Both sentences are grammatically possible. I disagree with tedmc about the simple past being more natural but I can definitely tell you that the non-contracted version of "you have" is quite unlikely from most BrE speakers.

Please give us more to work with. In what scenario do you want to say it?
 
Perhaps:

Finally! You got it!

I'm not 100% certain that fits your context, because I don't know what your context is. 🤔
 
If the idea is to express relief, or resolved impatience after a long wait, then both phrases work well to do that.
 
Note my corrections to your question.

Both sentences are grammatically possible. I disagree with tedmc about the simple past being more natural but I can definitely tell you that the non-contracted version of "you have" is quite unlikely from most BrE speakers.

Please give us more to work with. In what scenario do you want to say it?
I was thinking that "at last" and "finally" act like time markers, which usually go with the simple past tense rather than the present perfect tense. No?
 
Last edited:
I was thinking that "at last" and "finally" act like time markers, which usually go with the simple past tense rather than the present perfect tense. No?

Firstly, it's best not to think of possessive 'have got' as being present perfect. Secondly, the phrases at last and finally can equally go with present tenses as past tenses. However, since an expression of relief is more likely to be about a present situation in present time, we would therefore be more likely to use a present tense:

At last! You're here!
I've finally finished my dissertation!


Past tenses are also perfectly natural, of course:

Finally! You made it!

Using the past tense in the context of the original post doesn't work very well, since the relief is present. (At least, that's what I'm guessing the OP is trying to say.) Also, remember that the verb 'got' is the past tense of 'get', which has a very different meaning from possessive 'have got', so where You got it means something like 'You acquired it', You've got it probably means 'You understand it'.
 
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