Learn English – “Didn’t check” vs. “Hadn’t checked”

tensesword-choice

I text-messaged my friend on his cell phone last night and this morning I got a reply saying, "I had saved your number, …but I didn't check my cell until now.."

Is "didn't check until now" okay, or should it be "hadn't checked it until now" ?

Best Answer

Hadn't checked until now would be incorrect, as hadn't checked (or had not checked) is the past perfect tense, meaning he would be saying that something had not yet occurred at a moment in the past. However, now indicates that the point of reference is the present.

I think your primary confusion is the change in tense from had saved (past perfect) to didn't check (simple past). I would actually take issue with the first part and change it to the simple past to match the second half:

I saved your number, ...but didn't check my cell until now

Though I personally would suggest a simple past followed by a present perfect:

I saved your number, ...but haven't checked my cell until now.

But keep in mind that grammar (and spelling... and in some cases coherence) are rarely considered mandatory in text messages.

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