the homework is finished

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"I am finished" vs "I have finished"

What is the difference between "I am finished" and "I have finished"?

For example, when finishing a task, should I say "I have finished" or "I am finished". Is there a difference in meaning?

• perfect-constructions
• participial-adjectives

8 Answers 8

Depending on context they could have the same or slightly different meanings

I have finished

would be said after completing a task either very recently or some time in the recent past

I am finished

would be said after very recently completing a task.

It can also have the meaning of hopelessness as a person faces impending doom

I've lost everything, I'm finished.

or drawing a dramatic end to a relationship

She said she was finished with her boyfriend.

• I would say that they are nearly identical except that "I have finished" cannot signify your second (dramatic) version of "I am finished". As a response to the "are you finished?", they are identical. when reporting back after a task, I think people are more likely to use "I am finished". It's just a choice for all uses except the dramatic one. –  Bill K Commented Oct 18, 2016 at 23:06
• 1 @BillK Out of context "I am finished" is much more likely to be interpreted as despair. If someone asks you " Are you finished?" the natural response is "I am finished". If you are asked " Have you finished?" the natural response is "I have finished" to match the verb in the question. –  CJ Dennis Commented Oct 18, 2016 at 23:31

You could say either one, but things get more complicated when you elaborate and mention what you've finished:

I have finished this task. I am finished with this task.

• 1 It's true that for the sense I have completed the activity I was engaged in you could actually use either of OP's two 3-word statements. But in practice I think although very young children might be more likely to say I am finished (because of how pre-adolescent / infantile self-awareness and perception work), I'd be pretty certain that the vast majority of adult native speakers would say I have finished (you tell people what you've done, rather than explicitly describing your current state). –  FumbleFingers Commented Oct 18, 2016 at 15:35
• (As in: children say I'm scared! where adults are more likely to say This is scary! ) –  FumbleFingers Commented Oct 18, 2016 at 15:37
• 3 @Fumble I'd be more likely to say I finished (no have ) or I'm done . –  user230 Commented Oct 18, 2016 at 15:45
• 1 @snailplane: I'd be more likely to just sit quietly and wait for others to catch up, if there were several of us doing whatever it was. Unless it was a competition , in which case I'd just yell " Finished! " and expect them all to gasp in amazement. Or facetiously, "Finished, Miss!". It's not that easy to imagine actually saying all and only the three words in OP's examples. –  FumbleFingers Commented Oct 18, 2016 at 16:42

Both are grammatically correct.

The speaker is in the state of being finished with a task.

This describes the completion of the task in the very recent past. ( present perfect tense )

I think there are actually three factors we're discussing here:

• "To Be Finished ", where " Finished " is an adjective meaning 'completed' or 'over'
• The prepositional phrase "To Be Finished With Something" which means the speaker is no longer interested or involved with Something
• "To Have Finished (Something)", meaning something has been completed.

Here are some examples:

• "You are finished ! You will never work in this city again!"
• "I have finished my homework. My homework is finished ."
• "I can't take another step, I'm finished , I'm through."
• "Sir, you haven't finished your steak."
• "No, I'm finished with this steak, waiter. You can clear my plate."

I relate it to French, where "Je suis fini" (I am finished/dead/over) has a much different meaning than "J'ai fini" (I have finished / I'm done).

Also, this is just grammatically speaking. I live in western Canada, and we certainly don't speak this way colloquially.

You should probably not say "I am finished" in most situations as this implies that your life is at an end. It is the "I" that is finished - i.e. close to death or some sort of catastrophic failure.

• That's a bit harsh. Usage in my experience is more of a temporary issue, like when completing IronMan "I have finished; I am finished!" –  MikeP Commented Oct 19, 2016 at 2:51

Grammatically, both are correct, but they are linguistically different.

The first sentence does, in fact describe the speaker as in the state or condition of being finished, specifically with the task of washing the dishes. This construction is the more passive of the two.

The second version describes more accurately the completion of the task as the point of reference for the listener.

To put it another way, the first sentence commands the listener to wait until the speaker is in the condition of being finished, the second says to wait until the action is completed.

The example I'm using is the following:

'Wait until I am finished washing the dishes' vs. 'Wait until I have finished washing the dishes'

I am finished is generally used to describe a situation where I am done and want to put an end(or there is no hope for me for that action or thing or person or anything like that.) to life or any action like I am finished with my life. or I am finished with you. while I have finished is used to say that I have completed an action like I have finished that book.

Here is an example... I am finished with the classes means I do not want to attend the classes anymore due to the teacher or I don't understand that subject.

I have finished the classes means there is a confirmation that I have completed the classes.

"I am finished." Here 'finished' is an adjective. "I have finished." Here 'finished' is the past participle form of the verb 'finish'.

Former one explains the state of being finished. It talks about the subject "I". It usually comes with a preposition like "With".

E.g., I am finished with homework.

Note: "I am finished" (without object) means you're fed up with your life, and you don't have a reason to live your life.

Later one is a sentence in present perfect tense. It may take an object as a complement to the sentence.

E.g., I have finished homework.

Note: Here there is no preposition before the object.

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Grammar - finished or had finished? [duplicate]

Are these two sentences same?

With the exception of Rob and me, everyone in the class finished the assignment before the teacher came. With the exception of Rob and me, everyone in the class had finished the assignment before the teacher came.

On searching, I found that "had finished" is the correct usage. Is it because it is followed by "before the teacher came"?

If I remove the "before the teacher came" from the first sentence, to make it-

With the exception of Rob and me, everyone in the class finished the assignment.

will it be (grammatically) correct?

Both are fully grammatical, and both are fully idiomatic. They can be used in identical circumstances.

The difference (which is slight) is in where the temporal focus lies. When you use a past perfect form such as "had finished", you are focussing the narrative on a point in the past, but later than the event of finishing; if you use the simple past, you are not focussing in this way - there may be no point of focus, or it may be any time.

Since there is a "when" clause here, that is the natural point of focus, so there is usually no practical difference between the two.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged grammar or ask your own question .

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How to answer“Did you finish your homework?”

Consider a scenario in which my friend, Jack, did NOT finish his homework. If I ask him the question “did you finish your homework?”, what is the correct way for Jack to answer this question? More specifically, can it be answered objectively with a Yes/No?

I feel like my friends would just say “no” as in “no, I didn’t finish”

But I feel like the correct answer should be “yes” as in “yes, you’re correct, I didn’t finish”

I know the easiest way to avoid this vagueness is to just add the “___, I didn’t finish” but I feel like most people don’t elaborate like that.

By the time you arrive, I ___ (finish) my homework.

A. will have finished

B. will be finishing

C. will finish

D. have finished

Select your answer:          

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Although they ____ in harmony for years, their partnership ended quickly during the crisis.

B. were working

C. are working

D. had been working

I’m so tired of Sophie _____ her engagement ring all the time.

A. showing off

B. showing up

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• English (US)

1. "I must have the homework finished by the end of the week" 2. "I must finish the homework by the end of the week" What's the difference in meaning? I think that as for 1, it's not I but another person who must finish the homework unlike 2. But could 1 mean it's I who must finish the homework? it's so confusing :(. would you plz make it clear for me? See a translation

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@THE-FIRST It’s unclear in the first sentence. And that’s just the way that sentence structure is, it’s not a good or bad thing. So, in the first sentence, it could be “I” who finishes the homework, or it could be someone else. Even in your example, “I’ll have my car repaired by tomorrow,” the person repairing the car could still be “I,” or it could be someone else. And just to respond to an earlier post, “I must have the homework finished by the end of the week” is not actually in past tense. The subject & verb is “I must have,” which isn’t past tense. “Finished” is not a verb in the first sentence, it’s actually acting as an adjective modifying the noun “homework.”

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both can be correct, BUT, in 2 it needs to be "finish." in 1, "have the homework finished" is past tense and in 2, "finish the homework" is future tense

I think you’re close. but in the second sentence, “i must finished” is incorrect, it would need to say “i must finish.” as to the meanings, the first sentence (“i must have the homework finished”) is more indirect. it’s saying only that the homework needs to be finished, not necessarily how or by whom. the second sentence (“i must finish the homework”) is more direct, it sounds like it’s saying that “i” will be finishing the homework., @the-first i don't think "which is" quite fits there, but i can't think of why. "i must have the homework finished by the end of the week" is more focused on you finishing the homework. you can say "i need the homework, which has to be finished by the end of the week" but it focuses more on the homework itself rather than when it's completed.

The sentences mean the same thing, but with slightly different emphasis. Sentence 1 puts stress on the homework being finished, no matter how you do it. You could do it normally or cheat, but it is most important that it is finished. Sentence 2 puts stress on you finishing the homework. This suggests that you will sit down and do the homework properly. I hope this makes sense; I’m sorry if it’s confusing!

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Has/Hasn't he finished the homework yet?

• Thread starter yellow sun
• Start date Apr 5, 2014

Senior Member

• Apr 5, 2014

Hi: I hear that my brother is still writing his homework, so I express my surprise and disapproval by saying: -Hasn't he finished the homework yet? But If I say : -Has he finished the homework yet? What it would express? Thanks.  

Liam Lew's

It would mean "Has he already finished his homework?"  

As you say, the first expresses disapproval. The second is a simple question without any judgement. (neither approval nor disapproval)  

Thanks. yet= until now and already=previously, but here as Liam Lew's said : yet=already. is it only in that context or we could use it in that meaning as one of its usage?  

yellow sun said: Thanks. yet= until now and already=previously, but here as Liam Lew's said : yet=already. is it only in that context or we could use it in that meaning as one of its usage? Click to expand...

Biffo said: The second is a simple question without any judgement. Click to expand...

• Apr 6, 2014

yellow sun said: Thank you very much Biffo. so, what is the nuance between the two simple questions: -Has he finished the homework yet? -Has he finished the homework? Click to expand...

• Tiếng Anh (mới)

His parents won’t let ______ until all his homework is finished.

A. him going out           

B. him go out                

C. him to go out            

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