When you get the hang of it, when you learn to see them, you will see them 
everywhere, but particularly in the work of the Associated Press and the BBC, 
both of which are premier 'had' abusers. This example is off the AP wire. There 
are ten 'had's below. See how many you think are bloopers. If you're set for 
html, the 'had's are highlighted.
(Wouldn't it be fun to get a number from each grammar teacher in America and 
chart the scatter pattern? I'll bet the numbers would be everything from zero to 
ten, with pronounced clustering somewhere.) 
 
.comeinflo.brad.05mar11.
 
Friends mourn 4 US yachters killed by pirates
By CHRISTINA HOAG and GEORGE TIBBITS, Associated Press, Tue Feb 22, 2011 
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Four American yachters killed by Somali pirates early 
Tuesday were longtime sailors whose passion for the high seas outweighed any 
fear of the risks, friends said.
 
The Adams had been sailing full-time on their 58-foot yacht, the Quest, since 
December 2004 after retiring.
 
Macay and Riggle had left Seattle on Riggle's sailboat for a world voyage in 
September 2007, but in recent years had been crewing on separate boats, said 
Macay's friend Cynthia Kirkham of Seattle. The two periodically returned home on 
visits, she said, adding that Macay had stayed with her last June.
 
The four sailors had traveled with a large flotilla to stay safe from pirates 
earlier in the trip, but they had left the group when the attack occurred, 
Macay's niece, Nina Crossland, told reporters in South San Francisco.
 
Gary Deitsch, commodore of the club, said members were devastated by the 
killings. The couple had belonged to the club since 2001.
 
Club Secretary DeDe Allen, who was a friend of couple and had sailed with them, 
said they were last in Marina del Rey in December. 

  
Scott Adam, who was in his mid-60s, had been an associate producer in Hollywood 
when he turned in a spiritual direction and enrolled in Fuller Theological 
Seminary in Pasadena a decade ago, said Robert K. Johnston, a professor at the 
seminary. 

  
His [now-deceased] wife had been a dentist, Torgerson said. 
___ 
  
Associated Press writers Phuong Le in Seattle and Jason Dearen in South San 
Francisco contributed to this report.


      

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