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I want to say that I did something a few months ago and I don't remember whether I've done that.

Which one should I say?

  1. I don't think I did something.
  2. I don't think I do something.
  3. I think I didn't do something.

1 Answer 1

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Firstly, I think you already know this, but you should replace something with a more specific word or phrase:

  1. I don't think I did that.

Let's look at each sentence in turn:

  1. I don't think I did that.

I don't think I left the door unlocked [a few months ago].

This is the most common way to express this thought. "I don't think" is present tense and "I did that" is past tense.

  1. I don't think I do that.

I don't think I leave the door unlocked.

"I don't think" is still present tense and now "I did that" is present tense, which indicates habitual action.

  1. I think I didn't do that.

I think I didn't leave the door unlocked [a few months ago].

This could be either a once-off event, or habitual action in the past. If it is interpreted as habitual action, it implies that it used to be that case but it has changed since:

I think I didn't leave the door unlocked [a few months ago], but I think I do leave the door unlocked now.

So your best choice is #1, followed by #3 but #1 is much clearer than #3. #2 means something different from what you want to say.

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  • "I don't think I did" = I have no recollection of doing it. "I think I didn't" = From what I remember, I probably didn't. So (3) carries a stronger implication that you didn't do whatever it was. Dec 24, 2019 at 8:56

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