fromEnglish Grammar Today
Happenmeans ‘occur’ andmost commonly ‘occur by chance’:
What willhappenif it rains?
Will someone tell me what’shappened?
A:You haven’t been out in ages. When did you last go to the cinema?
B:It justhappenedthat we went to see that new film last night.
Happen+to-infinitive is common in polite requests or to describe something that occurs by chance:
You don’thappento have any stamps, do you?
They justhappenedto be driving past so they stopped and had lunch and told us all about their holiday.
We usehappen+to+ object to say that something occurs unexpectedly or something occurs that we do not want:
Something’shappened tomy bike. The brakes keep squeaking.
What’shappenedto your jacket? It’s all covered in mud.