Before had had vs Before had

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Before had had" is used when referring to something that had occurred before a specific point in the past, while "before had" is used when describing actions or events that happened before another action or event.

Last updated: April 01, 2024 • 956 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to something that had occurred before a specific point in the past.

"Before had had"

This phrase is used to indicate an action or event that had taken place before a particular time in the past. It is often used in complex sentences to show a sequence of events.

Examples:

He realized that before he had had a chance to speak, the decision had already been made.
Before she had had breakfast, she went for a run.
Before he had had the opportunity to explain, she had already left.
I had finished my homework before I had had dinner.
Before he had had a chance to apologize, she forgave him.

Show examples from the web [+]

Nathan realized that their conversation from the evening before had had its effect.
I had never before had you as an actor.
We had never before had an election campaign in the history of Parliament, says he who is now celebrating 25 years of being an MEP.
The eastward enlargement brought a new and significant dimension to the challenge of cohesion, as the EU had never before had to face such a marked increase in disparities.
Whether it was protecting the environment, animals, health or consumers that was being discussed, the dialogue was broken off before it had had chance to start.
Those who had gone before had knowing of things beyond our reckoning even beyond our dreaming.
And desperate to know how much time I had before I had to tell Jake.
Before production had begun Weinstein had given her his tentative approval.
But it was early in the morning and few were in a mood to argue or talk before they had had their morning coffee.
And before I had had a chance to explore that dark side or figure out who I was or what I wanted I met you.
Got thrown out of 60-odd games before the league had finally had enough of him.
I'm pretty sure we had hospitals before we had all these machines.
My brother, before he had Max, had Bella, a rescue lab.
No one designed motorway signs before because we hadn't had a motorway.
Protection colonists had had before the British army, the king thought that they would pay for.
before they had even had the chance to germinate.
films were being banned before people had actually had the look at the work,
Last holiday we had before we had kids?
Act IV, and provisional climax of this appalling play: before we had had a chance to give our views on experience with the old directive, the Commission brought forward an amended version!
The Irish justice minister, Dermot Ahern, recently accused the EU Central Bank of having forced Ireland to go ahead with its bailout request, turning the country into a loser before its government had even had a chance to consider the options.

Alternatives:

before had
prior to having
previously had

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when describing actions or events that happened before another action or event.

"Before had"

This phrase is used to indicate an action or event that occurred before another action or event. It is often used in simple sentences to show a chronological order of events.

Examples:

He left before she had finished her work.
Before he had arrived, the party had already started.
She called before he had left the house.
Before he had spoken, she knew what he was going to say.
The movie had ended before he had even bought the tickets.

Show examples from the web [+]

At the end of the third hour Norma car was sent off-road by the Spyker of Dumbreck, that little before had crashed at Indianapolis, even if, given the presence of an Audi during its lapping, it was difficult to ascertain the car causing the accident.
At baptism he was given the name Carlo, in honor of Saint Charles Borromeo, who about a half century before had been of great solace to Milan during the plague of 1576.
The two people here before had ID.
Many of them had been travelling for 2 days, and the night before had slept all together in the little home of Justicia Y Paz in Popayàn, on the floor.
Never before had a master piece of art been stolen from a museum, and surely never one so important.
The chair was assigned to Giuseppe Gazzeri, a member of the Accademia dei Georgofili, who some time before had lamented the absence of any public teaching of chemistry, institutionalised and financed by the State.
From Crater 3 they were 100 m high at most, from Crater 1 no more than 50 m high (however Roby a week before had seen explosions from this crater up to 200 m high).
The fact that we can do this is the only way of definitively proving that there are man-made objects on the moon put there by a species that only 60 years before had just invented the airplane.
After an initial silence, the music starts to play, but not before the submission of a new, disturbing character: Aaron, almost certainly he who shortly before had left Rick&Co. water bottles calling themselves as "a friend". Who are you?
Those who had gone before had knowing of things beyond our reckoning even beyond our dreaming.
Farm labourers, who a few years before had been breaking machines in protest against unemployment and falling wages, now willingly used them to lighten their work.
Never before had such teachings fallen upon their ears.
Never before had I felt such pleasure.
But we never before had secrets between us.
Nathan realized that their conversation from the evening before had had its effect.
Never before had high end gliders been so easy to handle.
Never before had the boy seen a teddy bear.
Never before had I anyone to write to.
I had never before had you as an actor.
Companies have never before had a better opportunity to earn money by doing good.

Alternatives:

prior to
previously
before having

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Before had had vs Before had

"Before had had"

"Before had"

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