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Emily__ Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

past perfect

"The champion athlete had his medal taken away whe he was discovered to have been cheating."

Why there is past perfect? Obviously he took his medal away after or when he was discovered to have been cheating.

Thanks for your reply.
  

Top answer

" This is simple past , not past perfect, which is had had his medal taken away : Republican *** Scandals - dKosopedia John Scmitz, right-wing republican congressman, who had had his committee chairship taken away from him in the California State Senate after issuing a press ...

  • " This is simple past , not past perfect, which is had had his medal taken away : Republican *** Scandals - dKosopedia John Scmitz, right-wing republican congressman, who had had his committee chairship taken away from him in the California State Senate after issuing a press ...
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2 Answers
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"The champion athlete had his medal taken away when he was discovered to have been cheating."

This is simple past, not past perfect, which is had had his medal taken away:

Republican *** Scandals - dKosopedia
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This is an idiomatic use of have, not the past perfect.
taken here is part of a passive structure. The medal was taken.

Someone or some group of people (like the athletic committee) took away his medal, so he had his medal taken away. (He ended up in this situation: his medal (was) taken away.)

Compare.

Someone stol

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