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New2grammar Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

find/look for

I went to his office to find my supervisor

I went to his office to look for my supervisor.

What is the difference between these sentences? If they are not idiomatic, what would you say if "I went to his office to " must be retained?

Thanks in advance!
  

Top answer

'Look for' emphasizes the action/process, while 'find' emphasizes the result. When you lose something, you look for it and when you have succeeded in it, you say 'I found it'. 'Find' is more like a perfective verb and is not usually used in progressive form.

— Loojka

  • 'Look for' emphasizes the action/process, while 'find' emphasizes the result.
  • When you lose something, you look for it and when you have succeeded in it, you say 'I found it'.
  • 'Find' is more like a perfective verb and is not usually used in progressive form.
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18 Answers
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'Look for' emphasizes the action/process, while 'find' emphasizes the result. When you lose something, you look for it and when you have succeeded in it, you say 'I found it'. 'Find' is more like a perfective verb and is not usually used in progressive form.
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Hi,

I went to his office to find my supervisor

I went to his office to look for my supervisor.

This word order is not wrong, but I think you'll more often hear

I went to my supervisor's office to find him.

I went to my supervisor's office to look for him.

Clive
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New2grammarI went to his office to find my supervisor

I went to his office to look for my supervisor.

What is the difference between these sentences? If they are not idiomatic, what would you say if "I went to his office to " must be retained?

Thanks in advance!

If I am reading them right, I think you got the pronouns mixed
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Hi,

I went to his office to find my supervisor

I went to his office to look for my supervisor.

On reflection, these sentences don't actually make clear whether the office belongs to 'my supervisor' or to someone else. However, the context would normally show that.

Clive
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to look for is to try to find, so I'd use to look for (him) or to try to find (him), not to find (him).

I think look foris better because it's shorter.
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Loojka'Look for' emphasizes the action/process, while 'find' emphasizes the result. When you lose something, you look for it and when you have succeeded in it, you say 'I found it'. 'Find' is more like a perfective verb and is not usually used in progressive form.
I agree. You look for someone/something. In the end, you either find that per
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Hi,

I really don't see anything wrong or unnatural in "I went to his office to find my supervisor." If anything, it just suggests a focus on the aim of finding the person.

If you'll permit me to say so, I think you are trying to impose a degree of precision on natural speech that is not usually there.
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CliveHi,

I really don't see anything wrong or unnatural in "I went to his office to find my supervisor." If anything, it just suggests a focus on the aim of finding the person.

If you'll permit me to say so, I think you are trying to impose a degree of precision on natural speech that is not usual
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Hi,

As you wish. I'm not really trying to convince you. I'm just telling you how I speak and hear other people speaking.

Best wishes, Clive
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CliveHi,

I really don't see anything wrong or unnatural in "I went to his office to find my supervisor." If anything, it just suggests a focus on the aim of finding the person.

If you'll permit me to say so, I think you are trying to impose a degree of precision on natural speech that is no
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