Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / May 2007

Dinesh schrieb:

Can you give some context as both sentences are open to various
interpretations according to context.

Without context I would say that the first sentence is something that
might be said with relief when people are leaving work at the end of the
day (here "done" functions as an adjective). The other just indicates
that at some earlier point a certain amount of work was completed and we
can see the results now (here "done" is a past participle in a passive
structure).

However, these are only two possible interpretations - in the context
you took your quotes from (if they are quotes) they may mean something else.

Another interpretation of the first sentence might be that habitually
work takes place (in a certain place or at a certain time) - here "done"
is also a past participle in a passiv e structure.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan