<p>So I’m working on my essay, and I start a sentence with “I’d had” as in “I’d had no experience when…” Isn’t this grammatically incorrect? It’s technically saying “I had had”, which is weird. I think it would still make sense if it was “I had no experience when”, but “I’d had” sounds better to me.</p>
<p>Is that just one of those things that’s been used incorrectly for so long it sounds right?</p>
<p>“I had had” or “I’d had” can be perfectly correctly in the right context (if talking about the past of the past or ‘pluperfect’).</p>
<p>If you post the sentence and a bit of context, I’m sure we could help you figure out if it’s correct. If you don’t feel comfortable posting it, that’s understandable.</p>
<p>"(Re-Write)How exactly do you beat a team that hires real lawyers to write questions for the entire case? I’d had (?) no mock trial experience when I joined our school’s team my junior year. (Re-Write)When try outs were all said and done<em>remove</em>, I’d taken the one open attorney spot, defeating several returning members in the process. "</p>
<p>There’s my excerpt from the rough draft. 
Sorry for my little editing notes.</p>
<p>You’re ok. And, you can say I had had when you are referencing the past.
Little explanation here: [Grammar</a> Girl : When Are Double Words OK? :: Quick and Dirty Tips](<a href=“http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/double-is-double-has.aspx]Grammar”>http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/double-is-double-has.aspx)</p>
<p>Bueno. Thanks so much! :)</p>
<p>From where I’m standing (ok, well, sitting back in my bed) it seems correct.</p>
<p>Personally, I would use “I had had” or some other variation of the sentence as opposed to “I’d had.” I try to limit contractions in formal essays. It sounds cleaner when reading it, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>But for the personal statement, you don’t want to be too formal. Especially if you have a word limit and need to cut back on some things.</p>
<p>Yep. Approximately 450 words is what I need. I find “I had had” to be excessively awkward to read. Now that it’s been confirmed that it’s correct, I think I’m going to use it if I don’t end up rewriting the sentence. I’m not sold on it as it is currently. I would prefer that the essay be read in a way that conforms to my natural writing voice, I believe the essay will be better for it.</p>
<p>Here’s a trick: Go off somewhere where no one else is (bedroom, bathroom, etc) and read your essay aloud to yourself. If anything sounds awkward or forced, you should try to fix it.</p>
<p>Yes, “I’d had” is grammatically correct, and yes, you do not want to sound formal or wordy, so do not use “I had had.”</p>