Happened to have

Hello,

Is this sentence correct - 'I happened to have caught a nasty virus, again'. Why don't they just say 'I caught a nasty virus, again'

Does happen here mean turn out - ie: It turned out I caught a nasty virus or it is just a way for stating something that happened in the past?


Thanks a lot!

[BobK]

Originally Posted by Stephania82

Hello,
Is this sentence correct - 'I happened to have caught a nasty virus, again'. Why don't they just say 'I caught a nasty virus, again'
Does happen here mean turn out - ie: It turned out I caught a nasty virus or it is just a way for stating something that happened in the past?
Thanks a lot!

Almost .

I have caught a nasty virus again - [meaning what it says]
I happen to have caught a nasty virus again - As it turns out, I have caught...
I happened to have caught a nasty virus again - the same, but in the past (probably narrative)

As in the last case the /d/ is devoiced and assimilates to the /t/ of 'to', the last two sound nearly the same.

The 'happen to...' construction is often uses to introduce some information that the speaker thinks his/her audience is unaware of [and perhaps would be aware of if he had only been a more caring husband ]: Of course I'm irritable - I happen to have a headache.

b