I have to change school. vs I have had to change school.

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Can u pls explain these sentences in detail.

  1. I had to go.
    I had had to go.

  2. I have to change school.
    I have had to change school.

In which situation 'had had to / have had to’ should be used.

2

Hi Winice,

I have made some comments on your text:

  1. I had to go. It was necessary for me to go
    I had had to go. It had been necessary for me to go before something else happened

  2. I have to change school. It is necessary for me now to change school.
    I have had to change school.It has been necessary for me to change school recently

Alan

3

[color=darkred]1) Is that meant, he has to change school recently before something happens?

  1. What if the sentence changed to
    ’ I had had to change school '?
4

Hi, Wlnice

  1. It is not clear if some coming event has caused the speaker to switch schools. It might even be something that has already happened. All we know is that the speaker has been forced to change schools.

  2. It had been necessary for me to change schools.

5

Hi,

Let me give you some examples:

They have had to redecorate their house after the recent storm that happened a few weeks ago.

He had had to do his military service first before he went to university.

Alan

6

[color=darkred]Hi Alan,

  1. What is the difference between " it was necessary to…" and " it has been necessary to"…?

  2. I would like to have some training. ( Is / was he going to do it? )

  3. I would like to have had some training. ( Has the training done recently? Is it going on? or he did not do it but regrets of not doing it that time?)

7

  1. If the speaker says it has been necessary, it usually means they perceive whatever it is to have an effect on the present. “It was necessary” may or may not fit that description. It just means it happened in the past.

  2. This is just a desire. It is not clear whether the speaker will receive the training or not.

  3. The training could have been recent, but most important is that the opportunity has passed. It is not ongoing. Your third statement about regret is the best summary.

8

[color=darkred]Hi,

I could not really see what you meant here.
Could you give me some examples and describe in other ways.

Thanks!

9

The present perfect is usually used for past events that have an effect on the present.

I have completed my essay.
I have felt better lately.
I have heard good things about you.
I have enjoyed the concert.

Such a sentence generally means you committed some act recently and that you perceive the effect in this moment.

In the first sentence, you just completed your essay, which may satisfy some present goal.

In the second, you are referring to the continuing mood you have experienced in the recent past.

The third sentence likely means I have heard good things about you in the recent past that influence my opinion of you now.

The fourth reflects on the concert upon its conclusion.

I have had to change schools.

Following that same logic, we could conclude that this likely means you changed schools fairly recently and that it is still relevant to the present.

Example: I have had to change schools because the district recently closed my former school.

I said “it was necessary” just means it happened in the past.

It was necessary for me to change schools because I had been receiving an inadequate education.
It was necessary for me to change schools because mine was closed recently.

This construction lends itself to both meanings more easily. In the first sentence, we are reflecting on something we no longer consider relevant to the present. It appears we are including it as we relate some sort of account. “It has been” would not be a good substitute for “it was necessary” here.

In the second sentence, “it has been” is a perfect match. Pardon the pun.