The use of the word the past participle -- "had" as in: "had had."

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NOTE: I hope you don't mind the little bit of humor I used in the example short paragraph below. As the creative writer that I am, I've often found that words and sentences, sometimes have a habit of writing themselves into their own story, a story that the author did not originally intend. This was the case here.

 

This is a three part question.

 

I've often read and heard the past participle word “had” used in the following way:

had had”*, but it's usage always struck me so very strange. I mean, when seen in a sentence it looks pretty funny, the way it's “doubled-up”, but it sounds pretty good, when heard at loud.

 

1) Is there a grammatical rule for this unusual usage?
2) Are there any other past participles, or – for that matter – any other word(s) that is “doubled-up” like this?
3) Does this method of “doubling-up”words like, e.g. “had had” have a name?

 

Now, just to set the scene: An old hillbilly attends his very first live opera in the big city. Afterward he complains to his wife:

 

“Honey, after just thirty minutes of hearing some fancy dressed lady screech and wail a bunch of  strange sorry sounds, I *had had enough of all her caterwauling and high-tailed it out of that big place, as fast as my two feet would take me.”

 

edited Jul 23 '11 at 09:05 H. A. McRay New member

1 answer


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1) Is there a grammatical rule for this unusual usage?

 

This verb tense form is called the past perfect simple.  Perfect tenses are verb tenses that use the verb 'to have' with another verb in the past simple form -- "I have been to Spain."  Other examples of the past perfect simple include: "I had heard of him before I met him."; "She had played Risk before, but hadn't liked it."  The combination of 'had had' is a coincidence of verb use, it is not a "special" form.


2) Are there any other past participles, or – for that matter – any other word(s) that is “doubled-up” like this?

 

There are not many other verbs that are doubled-up like this.  The only other funny double it 'that that'.  For example, "I'd forgotten that that happened yesterday!"


3) Does this method of “doubling-up”words like, e.g. “had had” have a name?

 

Again, because the double use of words in this situation is a result of using the past perfect simple with the verb 'to have', this is not a special formation.  There is not special name for this particular doubling of words.  When words are unusually doubled for poetic effect it is a rhetorical device called repetition.

link answered Jul 24 '11 at 01:24 Kimberly Expert

Thank you so much Kimberly for you very knowledgeable expertise. So, as far as you know, only "had had" and "that that" fall under this unusual circumstance, as I call it: "doubling-up." In my writing, if I come across any other words that fall into this category, I'll share it with you on Face Book. Again, thanks you so very much. Respectfully, H. A. McRay (This is my pen name. H is for Heather, my favorite girls name & plant. A is for my favorite granddaughter, and McRay is Scottish for "Son of Grace." My birth & Face Book name is: Bob "Cookie" Vanduren, and yes, I'm very much Scottish/Irish on my mothers side). I know, I know, this is info that I need to add to my profile. H. A. McRayJul 24 '11 at 02:14

Sounds good. Let me know if you think of any more! KimberlyJul 24 '11 at 03:21

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