Grammar – Is ‘I Forget How to Do Something’ Correct?

past-tensepresent-perfectpresent-simple

Suppose someone says:

Hey, can you help me solve this algebra problem?

What should I say if I want to use the word forget?

  1. Sorry, I forget how to do algebra.
  2. Sorry, I've forgotten how to do algebra.
  3. Sorry, I forgot how to do algebra.

My confusion is between those three. I believe I can use the simple present since what I'm saying is true and it's a fact. However, [2] and [3] seem to be true as well at the same time, I can't tell why.

Best Answer

I would say #1 or #2 is fine:

  • I forget how to do algebra: Puts the act of forgetting in the present. Maybe you do generally know it, but you can't remember right now, so you can't help.

  • I've forgotten how to do algebra: that is, sometime between when you learned algebra and now, you've forgotten how to do it. The act of forgetting is somewhere in the past but you still haven't remembered again.

Either of these are natural ways to explain it. Personally, I'd only use the simple past — I forgot — if it's something I forgot in the past, but also something that I normally know or have remembered since then:

  • I worked with Mark for five years. I'm so embarassed that I forgot his name when I went to introduce him to someone else.

  • I practiced the dialog from The Phantom of the Opera for weeks, but I got stagefright & I forgot my lines as soon as I got up on stage.

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