Happens to happen
“If we do not prepare well for Brexit, patients in the EU may no longer be able to receive their medicines. Just because production happens to happen in the United Kingdom.”
(The Guardian.)
Is there any lexical reason behind the usage of the infinitive "to happen" as a complement of "happens" in the passage above?
Top answer
tkacka15 Is there any lexical reason behind the usage of the infinitive "to happen" as a complement of "happens" in the passage above? It's saying that the production of these medicines takes place/occurs (happens) in the United Kingdom as it turns out by chance (as it happens). The definition of "happen" is not quite the same for the two occurrences of that word in the sentence.
- tkacka15 Is there any lexical reason behind the usage of the infinitive "to happen" as a complement of "happens" in the passage above?
- It's saying that the production of these medicines takes place/occurs (happens) in the United Kingdom as it turns out by chance (as it happens).
- The definition of "happen" is not quite the same for the two occurrences of that word in the sentence.
- It happened (turned out by chance) that Ellen knew the capital of Georgia, so we won the game.
- ~ Ellen happened to know the capital of Georgia, so we won the game.
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tkacka15Is there any lexical reason behind the usage of the infinitive "to happen" as a complement of "happens" in the passage above?
It's saying that the production of these medicines takes place/occurs (happens) in the United Kingdom as it turns out by chance (as it happens).
The definition of "happen" is not quite the same for the two
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