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45 votes
45 votes
Is "we hadn't had" gramatically correct?​

User Eran Machiels
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1 Answer

9 votes
9 votes

Answer:

If there is context given to when the 'time view point' is(detailed below), then yes

Step-by-step explanation:

"Have had" (and it's negative 'haven't had') are used when the 'having' continued from some time in the past until now - the 'time view-point' is NOW.

"I haven't had my breakfast today." - Between the beginning of today and NOW, I have not had a breakfast.

"Had had" (and its negative "hadn't had") are use when the 'having' continued (or didn't continue) from one point in the past to another point in the past.

The 'time view-point' is some named time in the past.

NOW it is half past four in the afternoon.

"At eleven this morning, I hadn't had my breakfast." - between the start of today and eleven-o'-clock, I did not eat breakfast.

"I hadn't had my breakfast today" and "I hadn't had a second opinion on it" do not make sense, because there is no past time named.

Sometimes, it can be "understood and omitted" if both the speaker and the listener know from context which time is being used.

User Andrew Gable
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