Marshall,
I have wrecked my brain but have not yet thought of a valid reason why 'had' should appear other than in the three circumstances mentioned. Have you a suggestion?
.brad.20nov08.
Brad,
How are they in “error”?
Marshall
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
On Behalf Of Brad Johnston
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Norman Mailer
Of 300+ ATEGians, some few will be interested to know that in the first 21 pages of "The Executioner's Song", for which Norman Mailer won a Pulitzer in 1980, the word 'had' appears 98 times, of which 44 are used correctly as the past tense of the verb "to have", or in the past perfect, or in the subjunctive. The rest (54) are in error.
(Don't holler at me. Count 'em for yourself :)
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