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  1. I had to try, didn't I?

or

  1. I had to try, hadn't I?

Which one is correct? If both sound awkward, could you please tell me the correct answer?

Thank you in advance!

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In modern standard English, "have" in "have to" is generally treated as a lexical verb, not as an auxiliary: eg. "I didn't have to try" (cf. the less idiomatic *"I haven't to try").

So in this case you need to add the dummy auxiliary "do" and "have" cannot be in the question tag:

"I had to try, didn't I". ✅

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