[Grammar] Have

[Rita_b]

Hello,

I have lost my phone or I lost my phone - which is correct?

 

[fighting spirit]

I have lost is correct.

 

[corum]

And, of course, so is "I lost my phone."

 

[fighting spirit]

I don't agree with you. It is an event in the past that has a result in the present. Also, there is no time expression.

I have lost my phone, I'm 100% sure.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't agree with you. It is an event in the past that has a result in the present. Also, there is no time expression.

I have lost my phone, I'm 100% sure.

I agree with you about the lack of time expression with the other choice.

I have lost my phone - you are simply stating a fact.

I lost my phone - I would expect this to be followed by either a time or location expression:

I lost my phone yesterday.
I lost my phone on the bus.
I lost my phone while I was walking the dog.

 

[tedtmc]

I lost my phone. - is not wrong
Simple past tense may or may not have a time expression.

 

[emsr2d2]

I lost my phone. - is not wrong
Simple past tense may or may not have a time expression.

That's true, and I should have added that "I lost my phone" is not an incorrect sentence. For example:

Q - What happened to you yesterday?
A - I lost my phone. Then I had to go to the police station to report it. It was a terrible day.

Though as you can see, the time expression in that example comes in the question!

 

[billmcd]

I'm always a little reluctant to say "100%" about anything. I guess it's my conservative nature. So, my answer would be, "it depends". I agree that for past tense, generally you need a time reference, but context or popular usage can sometimes be a mitigating factor. For example, in this scenario, Fighting Spirit lost her phone on the bus and she calls Corum (on a public phone) and says, "I need your help. I lost my cell phone on the bus and I need a ride to the bus depot to see if anyone turned it in."

Context, context, context!

 

[Barb_D]

Context, context, context!

Amen! For just about everything we are asked here, it is so true.