had

[tomolonight]

1) Can you pls explain the meaning and diffencences in these following:

I had to go.
I had had to go.

I had to change school.
I had had to change school.

2) In what situation that 'had had' should be used?

[TheParser]

1) Can you pls explain the meaning and diffencences in these following:

I had to go.
I had had to go.

I had to change school.
I had had to change school.

2) In what situation that 'had had' should be used?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Tomolonight.

(1) Maybe these examples will help you a LITTLE:

If I HAVE time, I WILL visit you tomorrow. =

It is possible that I will have time. If I do, I will visit you.

If I HAD time, I WOULD visit you tomorrow. =

Tomorrow I have to work. So there is almost no chance that I will have

time to visit you. Sorry!

*****

Last week your friend invited you to a party. You did not go. Today your

friend sees you. She is very angry. She asks you today: Why didn't

you come to my party last week?

You answer: Oh, I am so sorry! If I HAD HAD time, I WOULD HAVE COME to your party last week, but I had a medical emergency and had to go to the hospital. In fact, I just came back home yesterday. Please forgive me!

Have a nice day!

[~Mav~]

*** NOT A TEACHER ***

Dear Parser,

I think it can also be used as Past Perfect, so not only in conditional sentences. Consider this: I returned to my country with new experiences, grateful for the opportunity I had had to go (Past Perfect) abroad.

[albertino]

*** NOT A TEACHER ***

Dear Parser,

I think it can also be used as Past Perfect, so not only in conditional sentences. Consider this: I returned to my country with new experiences, grateful for the opportunity I had had to go (Past Perfect) abroad.

Am I wrong with this example/interpretation?

(Not a teacher)
Yes, so long as the "had "+past participle" action happened before another past action which is understood in the context.

[tomolonight]

Can you please use the examples above to explain.

Describe the situation in which 'had had' should be used.

Give me more descriptions, scenario and explanations.

Thanks!

[Raymott]

Can you please use the examples above to explain.

Describe the situation in which 'had had' should be used.

Give me more descriptions, scenario and explanations.

Thanks!

Do you understand the past perfect tense? "Had had" is the past perfect of the verb 'to have', and is used in the same way as any other verb.
I stopped exercising because I had run enough. (verb 'run')
I stopped eating because I had had enough. (Here the second 'had' means 'eaten'. To have = to eat.)
When I got the measles, my brother was safe because he had had the measles before and was immune. (Verb 'have')

[tomolonight]

Can you pls use the 2 examples given above to explain.

I am not so sure of 'had had to'.

Pls give me more examples and situations.

[albertino]

Can you pls use the 2 examples given above to explain.

I am not so sure of 'had had to'.

Pls give me more examples and situations.

(Not a teacher)
Look at this:
BBC World Service | Learning English | Learn it

[Raymott]

Can you pls use the 2 examples given above to explain.

I am not so sure of 'had had to'.

Pls give me more examples and situations.

You haven't answered my question yet. Do you understand i) the formation of the past perfect tense? ii) the usage of the past perfect tense?
Learning how to uses tenses by induction from a few examples is the hard way.

Do you understand "had run to", "had talked to"?
"had had to" is bit more complicated. It is the past perfect form of the verb "have to" meaning "must".
Present tense: I have to go. = I must go.
Past Perfect: I had had to go. No equivalent with "must".

[~Mav~]

*** NOT A TEACHER ***

I am not so sure of 'had had to'.

Pls give me more examples and situations.

I've already given you an example with the Past Perfect form of "have to":
I returned to my country with new experiences, grateful for the opportunity I had had to go abroad.

(Just in case you hadn't noticed it. )

But first of all, consider and try to answer Raymott's questions!