happen to

[Lenka]

What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences? In which situations (what context) would they be used?

He happens to be present.

He happened to be present.

He happens to have been present.

He happened to have been present.

[Anglika]

Originally Posted by Lenka

What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences? In which situations (what context) would they be used?

He happens to be present. He is here now (by chance)

He happened to be present. He was here (by chance)

He happens to have been present. By chance he was present at that time

He happened to have been present. ditto

.

We can go ahead with the meeting. He happens to be present.
We went ahead with the meeting as he happened to be present.

Last week, we were able to start as he happens to have been present.
Because he happened to have been present, we were able to decide what to do.

[Lenka]

Originally Posted by Anglika

.

Last week, we were able to start as he happens to have been present.
Because he happened to have been present, we were able to decide what to do.

Anglika, thank you very much indeed for the explanation but I don't understand it, anyway . I am dumb. I just can't understand the two sentences.
Could you try to explain it once more, a little further, please?

[Anglika]

Sorry - happen = come about by chance.

So both these sentences say that "It came about by chance that he was present at that given moment".