Could you tell me if the below sentence is grammatically correct? I want to say that the spelling was checked in my last year’s mail and in my mail from yesterday, too
‘I always used to have the e-mail program check the spelling before sending the mail.’
Hi Atilla
By using used to in your sentence, you are saying that you did spell checks regularly in the past but now you don’t do that anymore. You’ve stopped doing it.
You could use used to this way (“be used to doing”):
“I’m used to having the e-mail program check the spelling before sending the mail.” This means that using the spell check program is a habit of yours.
Otherwise, you could just say:
“I’ve always had the e-mail program check the spelling before sending the mail.”
That means you started doing spell checks in the past and have continued to do that up to now.
Hi Atilla,
You can also put it in these ways (Amy; correct my if I was wrong). Either, I used to check my e-mails’ spelling before sending them; if you did check your spelling regularly in the past but now you don’t do that anymore. You’ve stopped doing it. Or I always check my e-mails’ spelling before sending them; when you do your spelling regularly and didn’t stop yet.
That’s what I’ve got for now. (Amy; correct my if I was wrong).
Regards
Baraa
Hi Baraa
Yes, you can also use the simple present tense:
“I always have the e-mail program check the spelling…”
(Note: “have someone/something do something” means “you don’t do it yourself, but rather you tell someone/something else to do it”) So, the sentence I wrote above means: Atilla always tells his e-mail program to check the spelling ….
Amy
The explanation of “have someone do something” has been corrected. Thanks, Baraa. 
Hi Amy,
I don’t think that this sentence is correct:
“I always have the e-mail program [color=darkred]check the spelling…”
It should be :
“I always have the e-mail program [color=red]checked the spelling…”
From you, we always benefit.
Baraa
Hi Baraa
“I always have the e-mail program check the spelling.…”
This is a correct sentence, but I gave you the wrong explanation about why it’s correct. Sorry. :oops: Thanks for pointing that out!
The “base” form expression is “have someone (or something) do something”. It means that you instruct someone/something to do something:
Atilla instructs his e-mail program to check the spelling. = Atilla has his e-mail program check the spelling.
Amy
(I’m also going to correct my previous post. ;))