why 'Had + p.p'' (past perfect) is used in that sentence ?
I know that the past prefect is used when something happened before another action or moment.
ex: Before he reached home ,we had had lunch.
However I don't understand what the (Had + p.p) means when it comes in a single sentence.
ex: The prisoner confessed that he had murdered her.
Within the limits of my understanding ,I'd argue that maybe there is another action happened after the murder ,But the writer just mention the earlier action to indicate that something happened after the murder!
I'm not sure :)
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Risposte · 9
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It's the same thing. The confession itself is in the past (like reaching home in your first example); the act which was confessed to was in the more distant past (like having lunch).
By the way "p.p." in that context likely refers to "past participle". Then that, preceded by "had", constitutes the past perfect construction.
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Direct speech: The detective said, "The prisoner confessed that he murdered her."
Indirect or reported speech: (The detective said that) the prisoner confessed that he had murdered her.
(Or the story writer wrote that) the prisoner confessed that he had murdered her.
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This is something that always confused me when I was younger as well.
"had" is the past participial form of to have. So you have to add had + the past participial. Because of this you get the strange combination "had had."
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u are true as i know
the second action is understood from the sentence
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