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ENGLISH VERB

differ

to be different; to separate

  • Regular verb
  • Gerund: differing
  • Past participle: differed

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I am different
  2. you you are different
  3. he, she, it he is different
  4. we we are different
  5. they they are different

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I was different
  2. you you were different
  3. he, she, it he was different
  4. we we were different
  5. they they were different

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will be different
  2. you you will be different
  3. he, she, it he will be different
  4. we we will be different
  5. they they will be different

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am being different
  2. you you are being different
  3. he, she, it he is being different
  4. we we are being different
  5. they they are being different

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already been different
  2. you you have already been different
  3. he, she, it he has already been different
  4. we we have already been different
  5. they they have already been different

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would be different
  2. you you would be different
  3. he, she, it he would be different
  4. we we would be different
  5. they they would be different

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. be different!

How to use differ

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Prices differ a lot from one store to another.

    Prices vary a lot from one store to another.

  2. Past

    Our opinions differed, but we stayed friends.

    Our opinions were different, but we remained friends.

  3. Future

    The rules will differ from state to state.

    The rules will be different from state to state.

  4. Present continuous

    Our schedules are differing more and more lately.

    Our schedules have been getting more and more different lately.

  5. Present perfect

    The two brothers have always differed on money.

    The two brothers have always disagreed about money.

  6. Conditional

    The results would differ if we asked younger people.

    The results would be different if we asked younger people.

  7. Imperative

    Differ all you want, but keep it polite.

    Feel free to disagree, but be polite.

Good to know

  • "Differ from" is to be different from; "differ on" is to disagree about: "we differ on politics".
  • "Different" is the adjective and "difference" the noun; the verb "differ" is rarer in speech.

Where you hear differ

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Intermediate Level 2

  • Emma and I differ on a few things. Emma and I disagree on a few things.
  • Their words differed, but they meant the same thing. Their words differed, but they meant the same thing.
  • People will differ on the budget. People will differ on the budget.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 1

  • Where their stories differ is the pot. Where their stories differ is the pot.
  • The two versions differed on the time, too. The two versions differed on the time, too.
  • In the episode, the versions will differ, and that's fine. In the episode, the versions will differ, and that's fine.
14
I only agree with part of it

Intermediate Level 2 · where I differ · and differ on others

Needs a subscription 2
Two Memories of the Same Afternoon

Advanced Level 1 · where their stories differ

Free 22
A comparison that doesn't hold up

Advanced Level 2 · The situations differ in size, staff and money.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular verb.