Problem with ÒhadÓ
Dear Dr English,
I want to ask you a question about ÒhadÓ which I am confused about, as in the following sentences:
-I had had my car washed by Johnny.
-My car had been washed by Johnny.
Which one is correct? Or maybe both sentences are wrong? Please, I need your guidance because I am very confused about this. Thanks.
Best Regards
Willy Soleh
You either do something yourself or you get somebody else to do it for you. If you get somebody else to do it for you, you say you Òhave something doneÓ. In this case, you have your car washed. That means you donÕt do it yourself but get somebody else to do it for you.
ÒI have my car washedÓ is in the present tense. In the past tense I say, ÒI had my car washed,Ó and in the present perfect I say, ÒI have had my car washed.Ó In the past perfect tense this would be, of course, ÒI had had my car washed.Ó
The past perfect tense we use when we tell a story (in past tense because the action is finished and over already) but we want to say that something happened BEFORE this point of time in our story, like in ÒIt started to rain but luckily I had taken my umbrella with meÓ, which means you took your umbrella before it started to rain.
In your case, the speaker got somebody to wash his car before the event he is taking about happened.
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Practise or practice?
Dear Dr English,
Which spelling is correct ÒpracticeÓ or ÒpractiseÓ?
Warunee Panyunavin
As a noun, the word is ÒpracticeÓ at all times but as a verb, it is ÒpractiseÓ in British English while American English is ÒpracticeÓ; either spelling has the same meaning.
Simon has been practising/practicing the piano for three months now without any improvement.
One can marvel in language studies through regular practice.
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earth or Earth?
Dear Dr English,
I sometimes see the word ÒearthÓ written with a small ÒeÓ sometimes the word is capitalised even when it does not start a sentence; why? Please explain.
Surasak Kheaw-on
When we talk about the third planet from the sun, it is the ÒEarthÓ, while ÒearthÓ is the substance or soil on the land surface of Earth.
Three fourths of Earth is covered with water.
Some animals dug a big pile of earth in our backyard.
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