Did you hear anything about his getting married?
Is the above question the same as saying
Did you know that he is going to get married?
or
Did you know that he has got married?
or something else?
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2Be aware that most native speakers would say Did you hear anything about him getting married with an object pronoun not a possessive.– tchrist ♦Commented Aug 30, 2016 at 14:25
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2 Answers
Neither of your paraphrases is necessarily accurate, though either may be.
Did you hear anything about his getting married?
This asks literally if your hearer has heard anything about a marriage. It would ordinarily be used if you had heard something unreliable—a rumor or a suggestion that might be mistaken or that you might have misunderstood. And it might concern a marriage that 'he' has already undergone, or one that 'he' has planned or scheduled, or one that 'he' is merely thinking about. You ask your hearer if he's heard anything which might make you more certain.
Your paraphrases however presuppose the fact of a past or future marriage and ask whether your hearer is aware of the fact.
answered Aug 30, 2016 at 14:14
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2Something unreliable—or the speaker having been kept in the dark (with emphasis on ‘you’: have you heard anything about it? ’Cause I sure haven't). Commented Aug 30, 2016 at 22:18
Your first question is ambiguous. Without additional context, it could mean either of the two alternatives.
If you are the person being asked, you will need to seek clarification, perhaps by replying, "No I didn't hear. Has it already happened?"
If you are the one doing the asking and want to remove the ambiguity, you should rephrase your question. You can use the appropriate one of your alternatives, or add a few words at the end that clarify the timing of the third person's marriage. For example, "Did you hear about his getting married next month?"
answered Aug 30, 2016 at 13:45
