I or I've

[Ashraful Haque]

I know this question has been asked a million times. But I think this one's going to help a lot of people including me understand it a little better.

A friend of mine was watching a video of an old video game. So I said:
"I think I've played this game, and if I remember correctly I've finished it as well."

As far as I know you only use 'I've' when there's a connection with the present, but in my case I both played and finished the game in the past. So which ones appropriate in this context, I or I've?

 

[jutfrank]

As you quite rightly point out, it depends on whether there was a connection to the present—so was there?

 

[Tdol]

I would use the past for the second.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

As you quite rightly point out, it depends on whether there was a connection to the present—so was there?

I think there was, since I'm watching the gameplay and talking about the time I played it.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

I would use the past for the second.

You mean 'I think I finished it as well' ?

 

[Tarheel]

Don't you always finish the game?

 

[GoesStation]

I think there was, since I'm watching the gameplay and talking about the time I played it.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

That's right. The present perfect is the natural tense for the first verb.

 

[Tdol]

You mean 'I think I finished it as well' ?

In the exact words of the original:

if I remember correctly I finished it

 

[jutfrank]

I'm pretty sure you meant to use the present perfect in the first part of the sentence. However, it's not completely clear what you mean in the second part. The part which reads if I remember correctly suggests that you're focusing on a specific occasion in the past. If that's the case, the past simple is what you need there.

 

[jutfrank]

Don't you always finish the game?

No, not at all. What Ashraful Haque means is that this is one of those games that takes tens of hours to complete. 'Finishing' a game could mean getting to the end of the story, collecting all collectables, or achieving all achievements, among other things. It's quite possible to play a game sporadically over a period of years without ever completing it.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

I'm pretty sure you meant to use the present perfect in the first part of the sentence. However, it's not completely clear what you mean in the second part. The part which reads if I remember correctly suggests that you're focusing on a specific occasion in the past. If that's the case, the past simple is what you need there.

Thank you very much. So to conclude it, if we say 'if I remember correctly' we need to use the past simple.
But what if I had said "I think I've played this game, and I've finished it as well."

 

[jutfrank]

Thank you very much. So to conclude it, if we say 'if I remember correctly' we need to use the past simple.

It's not right to say we need to use past simple, no. I don't think you should generalise this.

But what if I had said "I think I've played this game, and I've finished it as well."

Yes, that's fine.