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I want to know which is appropriate one to fill the gap in.

Leslie had a very strange thing __(happen) when she was in Romania.

  1. happen
  2. happening
  3. happened

Oxfor Grammar explains that I can use either infinitive or gerund to talk about experiences. However, in the other section, it also tells me that for passive, I can use past participle. So, in that sentence above, which one is appropriate and why? Thanks in advance!

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Either 1 or 2 is possible. You can speak of what happened as a completed thing (happen) or as a process that was continuing for a time (happening). The infinitive (happen) is more likely.

Happen is intransitive, so it can't be made passive, and happened doesn't fit there.

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  • You think "Leslie had a very strange thing happening when she was in Romania" is even possible? It sounds very wrong to me (Northeast US native speaker).
    – stangdon
    Dec 12, 2021 at 5:49
  • I think it's possible. "Leslie had a very strange thing happening when she was in Romania. Every night when she went to bed, she would have dreams about Dracula. When she crossed to Bulgaria, the dreams disappeared."
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Dec 12, 2021 at 8:20

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