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Which of the two is correct? I mean that in the past i had no defence mechanism and i was (verbally) poisoned for some time.

  1. I haven't developed a defence mechanism and I have been poisoned for quite some time.
  2. I hadn't developed a defence mechanism and I have been poisoned for quite some time.

Thanks in advance!

2 Answers 2

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Hadn't implies that this is a condition of the past, but that you have since changed the situation. The expected use with hadn't would be:

I hadn't developed a defence mechanism and I had been poisoned for quite some time; however, having developed a resistance, this is no longer much of a concern for me.

Please read the explanations at https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/84900/present-perfect-hadnt-heard-vs-havent-heard and https://www.englishforums.com/English/HadntOrHavent/hkmmg/post.htm

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The first sentence could be rearranged as : I have been poisoned for quite some time & I haven't developed a defence mechanism

The second as : I hadn't developed a defence mechanism and so I have been poisoned for quite some time

or

I have been poisoned for quite some time because I hadn't developed a defence mechanism

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