Have \ has had and had had

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Ahmed_harbi

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Hello everyone.

I have had a car, that mean I don't have It anymore right?

But when I say:
I had had a car, it still mean the same or not.

In the first one It Is present perfect, and the second one past perfect.

Regards
 

emsr2d2

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Hello everyone.

I have had a car, that mean I don't have It anymore right?

But when I say:
I had had a car, it still mean the same or not.

In the first one It Is present perfect, and the second one past perfect.

Regards

I have had a car for three years = you still have the car.
I have had a car in the past = you probably don't have a car now.

I had had a car ... - this would only make sense when followed by something else. Can you write a whole sentence using "I had had a car"?
 

Ahmed_harbi

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For example:
I had had a car when I lived In New Zealand
 

Tdol

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That doesn't work- the two things are at the same time and the past perfect is for the first of two linked actions.

I had had a car before I moved to New Zealand.
 

Raymott

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I don't think a car is a good example to demonstrate the use of "had had".
"I had a car before I moved to New Zealand" works just as well. There's still no need for the past perfect unless more elements are added.
 

emsr2d2

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We can use the car if we add some information.

When I moved to New Zealand, I bought a car. I had had a car before, of course, but never in a foreign country.
 

Ahmed_harbi

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Thank you all for your help it always confused me but not any more thank’s to you.
 
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