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Latest post Mon, Jan 31 2005 9:48 PM by Andrei. 3 replies.
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Andrei  +  71302 Mon, 31 Jan 05 09:48 PM


''She received immediate medical attention at the site, and is now proceeding with her schedule as planned."

Last September her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery.

Mrs Clinton had later been due to give a lecture at a Catholic college on health care.

Mrs Clinton told the crowd she was feeling weak and had had a stomach virus, Colleen DiPirro, president of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, told a local radio station.

She started to speak then collapsed, Ms DiPirro said.



My question is on the words 'had had' in the above. Is it fine?

If it is fine, the following is fine too.

I told my colleagues I was not feeling well at the week-end because had had a bout of influenza.

Joined on Sat, May 29 2004
Full Member 387
MrPedantic  +  71341 Tue, 01 Feb 05 12:21 AM
Hello Andrei

You would need an 'I' in the second clause:

1. 'I told my colleagues I was not feeling well at the week-end because I had had a bout of influenza.'

You might also want to consider:

2. 'I told my colleagues I hadn't felt well at the week-end because I had had a bout of influenza.'

In #1, the act of 'telling your colleagues' took place during the weekend itself.

In #2, the act of 'telling your colleagues' took place after the weekend.

The 'had had' here is a combination of ['to have', auxiliary verb] + ['to have', transitive verb].

MrP
Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004
Veteran Member 12,592
...opella forensis / adducit febris...
Andrei  +  71567 Tue, 01 Feb 05 07:34 PM
Mr P, I thank you for the reply. I accept your reply with some reservations.
Yes, it was a mistake to omit the 'I*.

If the act of telling my colleagues took place during the weekend itself, I would write the following:

1. At the week-end, I told my colleagues I was not feeling well because I had had a bout of influenza.'


Wouldn't you consider this sentence a past perfect one? Becaue I have learnt to write 'had had' combination for the past perfect sentences and conditional sentences.


MrPedantic  +  71574 Tue, 01 Feb 05 08:00 PM
You're right to have reservations, Andrei. Thinking about it, I realize my answer was too hasty.

Let:

Telling = T
Not feeling well = NFW
Bout of flu = BI

1. I told my colleagues I wasn't feeling well at the weekend because I'd had a bout of influenza.

T = Mon
NFW = Sat
BI = Thurs

2. I told my colleagues I wasn't feeling well, at the weekend, because I'd had a bout of influenza.

T = Sat
NFW = Sat
BI = Thurs

3. I told my colleagues I wasn't feeling well at the weekend because I had a bout of influenza.

T = Sat
NFW = Sat
BI = Sat

4. I told my colleagues I hadn't felt well at the weekend because I'd had a bout of influenza.

T = Mon
NFW = Sat
BI = Thurs

5. I told my colleagues I hadn't been feeling well at the weekend because I had a bout of influenza.

T = Mon
NFW = Sat
BI = Sat

6. I told my colleagues I hadn't been feeling well at the weekend because I had had a bout of influenza.

T = Mon
NFW = Sat
BI = Thurs

And no doubt there are others!

The last clause of the example in your last post is indeed a past perfect.

Sorry about the confusion.

MrP
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