What is the Difference Between Had and Had Had?

The difference between "had" and "had had" lies in the tense they represent. In the context of the verb "to have," "had" is the simple past tense, while "had had" is the past perfect tense.

• Simple Past Tense (had): This tense is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past without any reference to when they happened relative to other events. For example, "She had a great time at the party."
• Past Perfect Tense (had had): This tense is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past before another action or event that also happened in the past. It is formed with "had + past participle," and in this case, the past participle of "to have" is "had". For example, "She had had enough to eat when they asked her for seconds."

In summary:

• "Had" is the simple past tense of "to have."
• "Had had" is the past perfect tense of "to have."

Comparative Table: Had vs Had Had

The difference between "had" and "had had" lies in their tenses. "Had" is the past simple tense, while "had had" is the past perfect tense. Here's a table summarizing their usage:

In the past simple tense, "had" is used to express a finished action in the past. For example, "I had a pancake" means that I ate a pancake in the past, and the action is completed.

In the past perfect tense, "had had" is used to express a finished action in the past, with a focus on the order of events. For example, "I had had a pancake" can be understood as "I was in a state where I'd previously had a pancake." This construction helps the listener understand the sequence of past events.

When "had had" is used, it usually refers to an event that happened further back in the past compared to another event. For instance, in the sentence "We had had power" (past perfect), the action of having power happened in the past and is completed. The speaker is likely comparing this event to another past event, such as not having power for a week.