What happened или what has happened

Happened Vs. Has Happened?

A. Can you explain what happened?
B. Can you explain what has happened?

1. What is the difference between the two sentences above?
2. Does sentence B refer to what happened recently?
3. Does sentence B suggest a cause that resulted to the present situation?

eg. The computer is not working. Can you explain what has happened?

4. In #3, I think «what happened» is also possible, though. Would you agree?
5. Which is the more natural verb tense to use for the example in #3?

Please advise. Thank you.

In these specific examples, there isn’t really much substantive difference in what you are asking.

What «has happened» puts it more in the recent and potentially still occurring past, where as, «what happened,» is more of a definitive past event.

However, in common speech, there wouldn’t really be much of a difference in meaning in this example.

Thank you very much, sam1947, for your helpful response.

Just a couple of questions more if you could please help me with. Thanks.

Anonymous eg. The computer is not working. Can you explain what has happened?

Does the question «. what has happened?» above expect an answer that is most recent or a still ocurring past, and also in present perfect tense? If so, the answer, for example, could be: The computer has been infected by a virus.

Is it also possible that someone would answer in a definitive past form (and not necessarily in present perfect tense) to the question «. what has happened?»? If so, the answer, for example could be: The monitor displayed a blue screen before it lost power.

The «what has happened» does indicate an occurrence continuing, at least, into the immediate past. The answer could well be, «The computer has been infected by a virus.» Or, it could be, «Your computer was infected by a virus.» Either could be affecting what is happening now.

The answer to what has happened could also be your 2nd example, «The monitor displayed a blue screen before it lost power.» Although, you would probably say, if you were answering the IT person, «I don’t know; the monitor displayed a blue screen and then lost power.» The latter gives more of a sequence of events through time, which «has happened» seems to call for.

There is just a nuanced difference between the past, «what happened,» and the past perfect, «what has happened.» The former is more definitively past, although, in the case of computers and many other things in life, that could still have echoing effects on the present.
«Has happened» has more of a continuous feel to it, if not into the present, nearer the present than the definite past.

It is hard to explain, at least for me. One has a sense of these things, but it is hard for me to put it into words for others.

Let’s say you know that someone witnessed an accident. Two different time frames would be expressed by asking the onlooker.

What has happened happened? (What you would say if you came upon the scene shortly after it happened.)

What happened? (What you would say if you came upon the scene when there were indicators that it had happend some time in the past—(e.g. officers were there investigating, or there were other signs that it had clearly taken place some period,not necessarily all that long, before you came upon it. It would also be what you would ask the witness the following day. It just doesn’t have the same sense of immediate past that «has happened» conveys.)

Maybe someone else can explain it more clearly. It is, afterall, for me the end of a very long and trying work week, so my brain isn’t functioning as well as it might at other times!

What happened, happened.

babai

Senior Member

I am confused about which phrase is correct and used in English and In which situations should I use them? Please explain.. Please help me.

1. ‘What has happened, has happened.’

2. ‘What has happened, happened.’

3. ‘What happened, happened.’

Jektor

Senior Member

«has happened» gives the sense of something which has happened recently or a short time ago.
«happened» could have occurred at any time in the past.

«What’s that noise? What has happened. Has there been an accident? (a recent event)
«What happened to you when you were a child? (an event at sometime in the past)

velisarius

Senior Member

1. ‘What has happened, has happened.’

2. ‘What has happened, happened.’

3. ‘What happened, happened.’

They may be used if you are feeling fatalistic. What has happened, has happened. It’s no use crying over spilt milk. Perhaps it was meant to be.

What happened, happened. It’s time to move on.

It’s the usual difference between simple past and present perfect. It’s a matter of choice or context.

«What has happened?» vs «What happened?»

What is the diference between the folowing phrases? They are equivalent anyway. Since that only emphasis make difference (like phrase with auxiliary «do») and time they refer to. Although I have seen that natives usually use «What happened?» instead of «What has happened?» I’m wondering why? Moreover what is it «What happened?». The point is that it isn’t a Perfect, Simple or any other construction. Maybe it’s too obvious but still.

1 Answer 1

Let’s say someone calls computer support for the first time on a Monday, and reaches the internal support department at their company.

Hello, Desktop Support.
—Hi, this is Anthony in Accounting. I’ve got a problem with my PC. It just stopped working.
Anthony, call you tell me what happened?

Support wants to know what took place at the moment the PC stopped working.

Now let’s say Anthony calls Desktop Support again on Tuesday, with a different problem. And he calls again on Wednesday and again on Thursday with yet other problems.

On Friday, he calls again. This time, Desktop Support, who have come to recognize Anthony as a regular caller, and a person who seems to have very bad luck with computers, might ask:

Hello, Anthony. What’s happened now?

Meaning, what is this most recent trouble in a series of troubles that you’re calling us about?

Or someone at a coffee shop might ask «Have you seen the news on TV. » to which you might reply,

meaning, what is this breaking news I should know about?

The present perfect casts the action in some present light.

What should I say «Had Happened» Or «happened»?

Due to some reason I could not completed my task yesterday. Is it correct to say Today that?

I really don’t Know what had happened to me. I could not complete my task yesterday.

or only simple past tense will do

I really don’t know what happened to me yesterday. I could not complete my task.

2 Answers 2

We normally use a Perfect tense when we want to:

The first one can include a «life experience» such as:

When I first went to China I had never met a Chinese person before.

Also, it can be about an earlier change in the situation affecting the time of focus:

When I got home, I noticed that someone had cooked a chocolate cake.

Verbs continuing to the time of focus have an «up to now» (Present Perfect) or «up to that time» (Past Perfect) feeling:

He was drunk because he’d had too much to drink.

(Of course, we may also use the Continuous Aspect, as in «he’d been drinking», but I’m just clarifying use of Perfect tenses for this answer.)

In your example, most native speakers would usually say the second (using Past Simple). Part of the reason is that many native speakers don’t use Perfect tenses properly these days. (Not a good reason, but it’s true.) Also, many of us would probably think of the situation in a series, like X happened and then I couldn’t complete my task. We’re thinking about the time of the first verb, then we’re thinking about the time of the second verb. Compare to this:

I don’t know why, but I lost my car keys yesterday. I couldn’t drive home.

You could also say:

I couldn’t drive home, because I’d lost my car keys.

Returning to your examples:

I really don’t know what had happened to me. I could not complete my task yesterday.

I really don’t know what happened to me yesterday. I could not complete my task.

What has happened?/What just happened?

flamboyant lad

Senior Member

The following sentences are self-made.

1. What has happened?

2. What just happened?(I’ve heard native speakers say this)

Which of the preceding sentences is more idiomatic?

I just can’t digest that how we can say something that has just happened in Simple Past tense.

sdgraham

Senior Member

I’m sitting in the room I use as an office and where my computer is.

If I were to hear a loud noise in the living room, I probably would go there and ask my wife:

«What happened?»
«What just happened?»

I probably would never say «what has happened?» regardless of whether it might seem «correct.» Language is like that.

DonnyB

Member Emeritus

1. What has happened?

2. What just happened?(I’ve heard native speakers say this)

Which of the preceding sentences is more idiomatic?

I just can’t digest that how we can say something that has just happened in Simple Past tense.

Odd though it may seem, as a response to (say) an unexpected loud noise, that’s how we normally do it.
«What happened?» or simply «What was that?»

BUT. If I were go into a room and discover papers strewn over the floor and ink spilled everywhere, I might ask: «What‘s happened here (perfect tense).