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When I was passing through the forest, I happened to see a herd of deer.

I have to identify which part of this sentence has an error. The book where I found it says using 'happen to' is the error here, but doesn't explain enough. As a result of which, I am confused. Using 'happened to' doesn't seem wrong to me. Can someone help me out?

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    If you find out, explain it to us.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 3:09
  • Using 'happened to' in that sentence does not sound wrong to me.
    – user108579
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 3:47
  • About the only thing I can see that one might argue over is the comma. Some folks would leave it there, others would remove it. Well, that and the use of "When" rather than "As".
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 3:55
  • The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, fifth edition (201) includes this definition of happen as a transitive verb: "2. To have the fortune (to be or do something); be in a situation or position (to be or do something): The bus station happens to be close to the museum. I happen to know the answer to that question." The person in your example sentence had the fortune or was in a situation or position to see a herd of deer; therefore, according to AHDEL, using happened in place of one of those other formulations is idiomatically correct.
    – Sven Yargs
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 18:51
  • Please edit your question and identify the title and author.
    – MetaEd
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 17:02

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