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Let's say there is a female adult. She used to have a slender body, but now she is a bit overweight. You are wondering what might be the reason for this, and then you have found out that her Facebook photos are full of different fatty food as she has become a careless foodie. And you say:

"So that's the reason why she gained some weight!"

Is this grammatical? In terms of the verb tense I have used? Should it be a past tense or simple present tense?

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  • Thx for the edit, I missed that one hehe, what a silly mistake.
    – John Arvin
    Aug 20, 2018 at 20:06

1 Answer 1

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The first two examples uses the Present Perfect because the discovery is made in the present. PP is used when the results of a past action are felt in the present

  1. That's why she's put on some weight

  2. That's why she's gained weight

    • last night, fans are wondering if Taylor Swift has gained some weight — but honestly, who cares if she did!

The third example is using the Simple Past. The Simple Past is used for actions that are completed and the speaker knows (more or less) when it happened, the time needn't be expressed it can be implicit.

  1. That's how she piled on the pounds

The last example, however, is quite disapproving and judgmental, it suggests that the person has become significantly heavier in a relatively short space of time. So by all means, utter this phrase in the privacy of your home, but avoid using it to your girlfriend's face (or significant other).

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  • I have two questions, but they are all related to the tenses I am asking here: 1) what should I use, gained weight or has gained weight. And in your first example about Taylor Swift, 2) ''who cares if she did'', will it be wrong if I change it to ''who cares if she does'' because the speaker is talking about the present right? So it may be more ok to use the present tense instead of the past tense... right?
    – John Arvin
    Aug 20, 2018 at 20:18
  • @JohnArvin if you are talking to a friend about discovering your GF's secret predilection for rich food (think ‘gourmand’) or junk/fast food then using the Simple Past is perfectly fine. "After seeing the photos of cheeseburgers and deli sandwiches on her Facebook page, I know now why she put on weight."
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 20, 2018 at 23:00
  • This is the British me that's speaking, but for Taylor Swift I'd say … but honestly, who cares if she has!
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 20, 2018 at 23:02

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