0

Some events are happening from time to time and I'd like a colleague of mine to notify me about the occurrence of those events next time they happen. So, I'm writing to that colleague:

I'm looking forward to hearing from you about an event having happened again.

In response I'm expecting to receive a message of the following sort: "Hey, finally the event has happened again, log into the system and look at the consequences. "

My question is whether my message to the colleague is OK or not? What's wrong and how I could ask about the same in a grammatically correct way?

Improve this question
1
  • I want to thank everyone who has answered my question. Thank you very much!
    – Alexey
    Feb 11, 2015 at 8:17

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
0

Your message is ungrammatical because it uses a present perfect, which refers to a past interval of time, to refer to a future event. You could say "... about a recurrence of such an event."

Improve this answer
1

Is the event something positive? If not it might be a little odd to say "looking forward to hearing from you" ..in case it happens again.

Anyway, why not write something like:

"Please do not hesitate/please feel free to inform/contact me in case it happens again."

Improve this answer
1

You are referring to the "past in the future" — that is, at some point in the future, the event will have happened.

Using having happened is perfectly grammatical, because the present tense (inasmuch as there is a present tense) is used to refer to future events: "It is happening tomorrow." There is no other construction which allows "past in the future": you have to have a past participle, which needs an auxiliary verb; and you need some means of putting that into the future. Simply using has is ungrammatical: you must use the present continuous.

However, one hears about some thing: that requires a noun, and so having becomes a gerund, and that needs event's to be possessive. Perhaps that's a bit pedantic, and not using the possessive would certainly be understood (even though it grates to my ears). I'd use the and not an because you obviously know what the expected event is.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you about the event's having happened again.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you about the events' having happened again.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you about one of the events' having happened again.

Improve this answer
0

The message you should send to your colleague is

I'm looking forward to hearing from you as soon as (or 'when' if it is not urgent) the event happens again.

The response you would expect to receive would be as you gave it in the OP.

Improve this answer
2
  • Dan, actually I'm interested only in the traces/consequences of the event. It will be important for me to know that the event of interest has happened shortly before the moment I log into a computer system.
    – Alexey
    Feb 11, 2015 at 8:21
  • Hi @Alexey. I think I understand now. I've altered my answer accordingly.
    – Dan
    Feb 11, 2015 at 12:02

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.