happened to come across (...)

Question

Hi guys, is it grammatically correct to say "I happened to have come across..."?

Under what circumstances should i use "to have come across" or "to have done something" for that purpose after a verb?

Thanx tons!!!

Phantombabe · Accepted Answer

maybe you can just say "I happen to come across.."

instead of using "to have come across" ..sounds wrong somehow

BarbaraPA · Answer

If the action was quite recent, you can use "have." For example, the person reviewing your accounting books looks up and says "I have come across an entry I don't understand."

Or, the action was some time in the past, but the timing is not important.

Person A: I have never seen any examples of species of the Grammaricae Geekius
Person B: Oh, I happened to have come across one or two in my career, but they are rare indeed.

(Philip, are you reading? I though you might enjoy this example

)

Yankee · Answer

Hi Anon

First I'll address your specific sentence:

If you refer clearly to a specific, finished past event, I'd prefer "I happened to come across some interesting additional information yesterday."

To speak more generally (i.e. when you came across the information is not important) with relevance to the present, then I might say this:
"I happen to have come across some interesting additional information."

Whether you choose "to do something" or "to have done something" often depends on the verb that precedes it and the precise timing of things. For example:

She seemed to have been crying when I saw her yesterday. (i.e. Yesterday it seemed that she had been crying before I saw her.)

She seems to have been crying. (It seems now that she has been crying -- even though she isn't crying now.)

She seems to be crying. (I think she is crying now.)

EDIT:
Hi GG! Didn't see you there. I bet Philip will like your example.

happened to come across (...)

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