Did I catch you at a bad time

[sunyaer]

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Could we say :"Do I catch you at a bad time?"

I don't think we could say "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

Please comment.

 

[Hau Ruck]

Actually, "Have I caught you at a bad time?" is perfectly fine.

Saying "Do I catch you at a bad time?" would not sound like a native speaker; we would never say that.

 

[Egmont]

...Saying "Do I catch you at a bad time?" would not sound like a native speaker; we would never say that.

The reason: When you ask this question, the catching is already in the past. It's not in the distant past, it was probably only a few seconds earlier, but it's still in the past.

 

[natkretep]

The reason: When you ask this question, the catching is already in the past. It's not in the distant past, it was probably only a few seconds earlier, but it's still in the past.

Exactly! And I am actually more likely to say 'Have I caught you at a bad time?' than 'Did I ...?'

 

[sunyaer]

Exactly! And I am actually more likely to say 'Have I caught you at a bad time?' than 'Did I ...?'

Please look at this dictionary, in which it says "I'm sorry. You look busy. Did I catch you at a bad
time?"

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/catch+at+a+bad+time


By the way, could we say 'Have I got you at a bad time'?

 

[Hau Ruck]

Please look at this dictionary, in which it says "I'm sorry. You look busy. Did I catch you at a bad
time?"

He's not saying that it is wrong. He is saying that given his preference, he'd rather say, "Have I....".
I'd agree; I prefer "have I" as well.

 

[natkretep]

That entry is taken from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verb, and it is possible that the 'Did I catch ...?' is preferred in AmE.

I think 'Have I got you at a bad time?' doesn't sound idiomatic.

 

[sunyaer]

1. "Is it a good time to talk with you now?"

2. "Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?"

3. "Have you got a couple of minutes to talk?"

Are these expressions native?

 

[Parla]

1. "Is it a good time to talk with you now?" (We'd more likely say, "Is this a good time for you to talk?")

2. "Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?"

3. "Have you got a couple of minutes to talk?"

Are these expressions native?​

​

My reactions are strictly US; British opinion may differ.

 

[sunyaer]

What about this:

"Are you at a good time to talk?"

 

[trastu]

"Are you at a good time to talk?"

I don't think that any native English speaker would say this.

 

[sound shift]

What about this:

"Are you at a good time to talk?"

I'm afraid we don't say that in BrE and I am sure that AmE speakers don't either.