I had something good ... happened or happen?

[karlalou]

Someone brought up why it's in present tense 'happen' in "I had something good happen today."
According to what I've learned, it's an infinitive and becomes to mean 'I' caused it to happen.

I see on the net people are saying more "I had something good happen" than "... happened."
I wonder why.

'happen' is intransitive verb, so I believe the past participle 'happened' can be used after a noun as an adjective to mean the perfect aspect.

 

[emsr2d2]

I find "I had something good happen today" unnatural (in BrE, at least). I would expect to hear "Something good happened to me today".

 

[Tdol]

'happen' is intransitive verb, so I believe the past participle 'happened' can be used after a noun as an adjective to mean the perfect aspect.

What do you mean by this?

I had something good happen to me today is fine to me. It doesn't work well without to me.

 

[GoesStation]

It's a roundabout way to say Something good happened to me, with a bit of a sense of surprise. It does not mean the speaker caused the thing to happen.

 

[tedmc]

It is an strange way of saying it.
I think it comes under the subject of "causative verbs":
www.espressoenglish.net/causative-verbs-in-english-let-make-have-get-help/

 

[karlalou]

What do you mean by this?

Are these wrong:

Galia counted the men passed out on the various pieces of sumptuous furniture (...) (said to be from a novel "Dishonored")
The train just arrived at Platform I is from New York. (from my grammar book)

fallen leaves
escaped prisoners

Also

I have my homework finished.
I have my son pick it up.

Are these wrong?

 

[jutfrank]

Are these wrong?

No, they're all correct.

 

[teechar]

I have my son pick it up.

That's not wrong, but it's unusual. How do you intend to use it? Give us an example scenario.

 

[karlalou]

That's not wrong, but it's unusual. How do you intend to use it? Give us an example scenario.

You don't use?

Store Keeper: It'll be ready by three in the afternoon.
Customer: Oh, I have a meeting around that time, but I have my son pick it up.

from Oxford Learner's Dictionary
have
24 to tell or arrange for somebody to do something for youhave somebody do something

from Merriam-Webster Dictionary
have
16

• She's having the children stay with us for the weekend. [=the children are staying with us for the weekend because she wants them to]
• What would you have me do? [=what do you want me to do?]

from Random House
have
6 to cause to be done or to happen, as by command or invitation:

[~ + object + root form of verb]​

Have him come here at five.

 

[jutfrank]

Store Keeper: It'll be ready by three in the afternoon.
Customer: Oh, I have a meeting around that time, but I have my son pick it up.

That's fine but you have to use will.

I'll have my son pick it up.

 

[teechar]

Don't you don't it? [STRIKE]use?[/STRIKE]

I was right. Pay attention to the correction made by jutfrank in post #10.

 

[karlalou]

What is wrong about being casual here?
My question is about the causative have.

Are these wrong?

I am sorry for this happening.

I am sorry for this happened.

I have something good happening today.

I had something good happened today.

I will have my son pick it up. This usage is causative, isn't it?

I have something good happen today. Isn't this structure causative?

 

[YAMATO2201]

I have something good happen today. Isn't this structure causative?

have + object + bare infinitive

This pattern can mean "to cause to happen" or "to experience".

1) He had his secretary type the letter. (to cause to happen)

2) I had something very strange happen to me yesterday. (to experience)

 

[karlalou]

2) I had something very strange happen to me yesterday. (to experience)

It's talking about something already happened. I believe the happen should be the past participle, happened. Otherwise it's incoherent from other usages.

Or it means the subject caused the mishap. I think this interpretation is also possible. A little superstitious, but I think it's a charming expression then.

 

[YAMATO2201]

It's talking about something already happened. I believe the happen should be the past participle, happened. Otherwise it's incoherent from other usages.

Or it means the subject caused the mishap. I think this interpretation is also possible. A little superstitious, but I think it's a charming expression then.

We've had this happen many times. (ロイヤル英文法, p.390)

 

[jutfrank]

It's talking about something already happened. I believe the happen should be the past participle, happened. Otherwise it's incoherent from other usages.

No, you need happen, not happened. The infinitive form, not the past form. It's the had which gives the past meaning.

I think you're right that it could possibly be interpreted as causative, but it's very unlikely. The obvious interpretation is experience. Either way, use the infinitive form.

 

[karlalou]

We've had this happen many times. (ロイヤル英文法, p.390)

Thanks. It says it's a rare case.

No, you need happen, not happened. The infinitive form, not the past form. It's the had which gives the past meaning.

I think you're right that it could possibly be interpreted as causative, but it's very unlikely. The obvious interpretation is experience. Either way, use the infinitive form.

I know if it's a custom, we just have to follow it, but now I am not sure what is the bare infinitive to the native speakers. I thought it's to express something without any sense of tense or aspect.

The happened in talking about something happened is not the past tense but the past participle, showing perfect aspect.

 

[jutfrank]

I know if it's a custom, we just have to follow it, but now I am not sure what is the bare infinitive to the native speakers. I thought it's to express something without any sense of tense or aspect.

Can you say more clearly what you don't understand? Why do you feel the past tense is necessary?

The happened in talking about something happened is not the past tense but the past participle, showing perfect aspect.

I don't follow. It's not possible to say talking about something happened.

 

[karlalou]

Can you say more clearly what you don't understand? Why do you feel the past tense is necessary?
I don't follow. It's not possible to say talking about something happened.

"... talking about something already happened"

Should this be "... talking about something already happen"?

Is "already" always the requirement in this context?

OK. I got it. You want 'that'. I wonder then why "I have my homework finished" works.

I have my homework finished.
I have something happening.
I had something happened.

Logically speaking, I don't know how they are different.
The have in "I have my homework finished" is not causative.
Have in "I will have my son pick it up" is causative.