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Pleasehelp Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

What tense is this sentence in?

They had to have that specially made?

It sounds like past perfect to me but I'm not sure.
  

Top answer

pleasehelp They had to have that specially made? The sentence is in the past tense. Since English lacks verbs for situations in which person A does something for person B on person B's request, a rather long and awkward structure is used instead: to have something done .

— Cool Breeze

  • pleasehelp They had to have that specially made?
  • The sentence is in the past tense.
  • Since English lacks verbs for situations in which person A does something for person B on person B's request, a rather long and awkward structure is used instead: to have something done .
  • Have is the finite verb, in other words, the verb that shows tense .
  • The past participle has absolutely nothing to do with tense as it is always required regardless of the tense.
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1 Answers
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pleasehelpThey had to have that specially made?
The sentence is in the past tense. Since English lacks verbs for situations in which person A does something for person B on person B's request, a rather long and awkward structure is used instead: to have something done. Have
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