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Kevin X Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
If it HADN'T HAVE BEEN ...???
Hi guys,
I heard a line in "Mr. Brooks" saying:
"Your picture was in the paper. And if it hadn't have been, I don't know what I would've done."
I understand that it is a conditional, but how could "have" be following "hadn't?" I thought there might be some typo, but I got 58.600 hits of this kind of usage on searching the Google. What kind of conditional is that? Aren't we supposed to say:
... And if it hadn't (been), I don't know ...
Would anyone help me on this? Thanks!
I heard a line in "Mr. Brooks" saying:
"Your picture was in the paper. And if it hadn't have been, I don't know what I would've done."
I understand that it is a conditional, but how could "have" be following "hadn't?" I thought there might be some typo, but I got 58.600 hits of this kind of usage on searching the Google. What kind of conditional is that? Aren't we supposed to say:
... And if it hadn't (been), I don't know ...
Would anyone help me on this? Thanks!
Top answer
" I think someone saying "if it hadn't have been" is just trying too hard.
- " I think someone saying "if it hadn't have been" is just trying too hard.
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3 Answers
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I would certainly say "if it hadn't been." I think someone saying "if it hadn't have been" is just trying too hard. 
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It's a VERY common error among us Americans; John McCain just used the same phrase in an interview!
"hadn't have been", sometimes (even more egregiously) written as "hadn't of been", is completely redundant. "If I hadn't..."or "If he hadn't been..." is completely sufficient.
The other one that more people get wrong than get right, is: "If he wouldn't have.../If I would have" whe
"hadn't have been", sometimes (even more egregiously) written as "hadn't of been", is completely redundant. "If I hadn't..."or "If he hadn't been..." is completely sufficient.
The other one that more people get wrong than get right, is: "If he wouldn't have.../If I would have" whe
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Kevin XI got 58.600 hits of this kind of usage on searching the Google.You can't live in the U.S. for more than a week or two without encountering this oddity. The haveis redundant, as you say. My advice would be to learn to recognize it, but not to use it yourself!
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