came to see me or dropped in (Do they have the same meaning, please)

Question

Hi there teachers,

Could you please tell me if the following sentences have the same meaning?

1. My friend came to see me in spite of being very busy.

2. My friend dropped in in spite of being very busy.

Thank you.

Wilpeter · Accepted Answer

The end result is the same, only the causation has changed. A person who is ‘very busy’ has to make a decision as to priority or importance.
‘came to see me’ implies a planned visit; and ‘dropped in’ implies a spontaneous (unplanned) visit.

Laborious · Answer

wilpeter‘came to see me’ implies a planned visit; and ‘dropped in’ implies a spontaneous (unplanned) visit.

Thank you very much, teacher! I've got another question, please. I have some phrases, which are underlined, given below. I'd like to ask you if they all can be used interchangeably.

- "to pay someone a visit" (An example of this is: "When are you going to pay us a visit?")

- "to drop in" (An example of this is: "Please drop in sometime!")

- "to visit someone" (An example is: "When are you going to visit us?")

- "to come over" (An example is: "Why don't you come over to have dinner with us tonight?")

Do the underlined phrases given above essentially mean the same thing?

Thank you!

..

Wilpeter · Answer

To pay us a visit – implies that we have earned it, such as by voting for that person or just being a relative. Adding “When” says it is expected eventually to happen.
To drop in sometime – implies it is optional and we are always ready to receive you without notice. “Sometime” makes it not compulsory.
To visit us – very similar to the first example.
To come over ‘tonight’ – it is a specific invitation with a deadline. “Why don’t you” adds that you would like an excuse and a decision now. It isn’t compulsory, but friendly.

came to see me or dropped in (Do they have the same meaning, please)

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