Difference Between I Know & I Knew

I know vs I knew

Both expressions “I know” and “I knew” are used differently in English grammar. The expression “I know” applies to events happening in the present, while “I knew” is used for events that happened in the past. This is the primary distinction between the two phrases, I know and I knew.

Take a look at these two sentences:

1. I know he studies well.
2. I knew the dog fell into the well.

In the first sentence, the expression “I know” conveys the speaker’s knowledge that “the boy studies well presently.” In contrast, the expression “I knew” in the second sentence indicates the speaker’s knowledge that “the dog fell into the well sometime ago.”

It is worth noting that both expressions are often followed by the word “that” before a clause begins. Consider these two sentences:

1. I know that she will come today.
2. I knew that she would not come today.

In both sentences, you can see that the expressions “I know” and “I knew” are followed by the word “that.”

It is crucial to understand that the verb must be changed to its past tense form when the expression “I knew” is used, as in the sentence “I knew she made it with ease.” Here, you can see that the verb “make” is changed to its past tense form “made” since the expression “I knew” is used. On the other hand, the verb takes its present tense form in the case of the use of the expression “I know.”

Key Takeaways

• “I know” is used for events occurring in the present, while “I knew” is used for events that happened in the past.
• Both expressions are often followed by the word “that” before a clause begins.
• The verb must be changed to its past tense form when using the expression “I knew,” while it takes its present tense form when using the expression “I know.”