How to use "HAD HAD" and "HAVE HAD" in English (easy to understand)

Summary

This video explains the differences between 'I have had' and 'I had had' by exploring the present perfect and past perfect tenses. It highlights how 'I have had' is used to discuss experiences or actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past and continue to affect the present. In contrast, 'I had had' refers to actions completed by a specific time in the past. Examples include talking about owning dogs and eating lunch. The video also emphasizes common mistakes with time references when using present perfect tense and offers recommendations for further learning.

Takeaways

• 😀 Present perfect tense uses 'have' or 'has' and the third form of the verb (e.g., 'I have eaten').
• 😄 Present perfect is used to talk about things that happened in the past without specifying when.
• 😊 Do not use specific past time expressions like 'yesterday' or 'last week' with present perfect tense.
• 😎 You can use present perfect with time periods still continuing, like 'this week' or 'today'.
• 🤔 To talk about possession in present perfect tense, use 'have had' (e.g., 'I have had four dogs').
• 😃 'I had had' is past perfect tense, used to describe something before a specific point in the past.
• 🐶 Example: 'When I was 9, I had never had a dog.' Later, 'When I was 16, I had had two dogs.'
• 🥗 Example of past perfect: 'Yesterday at 1 PM, I had already had lunch,' showing an action completed before a specific point in the past.
• 🍽 You can use another past tense action to indicate the time for past perfect (e.g., 'When Megan invited me to lunch, I had already eaten').
• 🎓 It's normal to find past perfect tense confusing, especially if you're learning it for the first time. Further learning is recommended.

Q & A

What is the present perfect tense and how is it formed?

The present perfect tense is used to talk about actions that happened at some point in the past without specifying exactly when. It is formed using the subject, 'have' or 'has,' and the third form of the verb (past participle). For example, 'I have eaten breakfast.'

Why don't we mention specific times in the past when using the present perfect tense?

In present perfect tense, we don't mention specific times in the past (e.g., yesterday, last week) because this tense focuses on actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past. Instead, we can refer to ongoing time periods like 'today,' 'this week,' or 'this year.'

Can you give an example of when to use 'I have had'?

An example of 'I have had' in the present perfect tense is: 'I have had breakfast.' This implies that at some point before now, the person has eaten breakfast.

What is the difference between 'I have had' and 'I had had'?

'I have had' is in the present perfect tense and refers to something that happened before now but at an unspecified time. 'I had had' is in the past perfect tense, which focuses on something that happened before a specific point in the past.

How is the third form of 'have' used in both 'I have had' and 'I had had'?

The third form of 'have' is 'had.' In 'I have had,' it is used to talk about an action that happened before now in an unspecified time. In 'I had had,' it refers to something that happened before a specific past event.

Why is 'I have studied English yesterday' incorrect?

'I have studied English yesterday' is incorrect because 'yesterday' is a finished time period, which should not be used with present perfect tense. Instead, we should use past simple, such as 'I studied English yesterday.'

What is an example of using past perfect tense?

An example of past perfect tense is: 'Yesterday at 1pm, I had already had lunch.' This sentence refers to a completed action that occurred before a specific time in the past.

When would you use 'I had never had a dog'?

You would use 'I had never had a dog' when referring to a specific past moment before which you had not owned a dog. For example, 'When I was nine, I had never had a dog.'

What does 'I had already eaten' imply when used in a sentence?

'I had already eaten' implies that the speaker finished eating before a specific past moment or event. For example, 'When Megan invited me to lunch, I had already eaten.'

Why is the past perfect tense considered more complex than present perfect?

The past perfect tense is considered more complex because it deals with two points in the past, indicating that one action happened before another. It requires understanding of both past events and how they are sequenced.