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Angliholic Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

I had a chance encounter with my ex-girlfriend

I had a chance encounter with my ex-girlfriend at the park the other day. We hadn't seen each other for yeas.

I ran across my ex-girlfriend ...

Do both of the above sound right and mean pretty much the same? Thanks.
  

Top answer

Hi Angliholic Generally speaking, you would "run across" a thing rather than a person. However, you could say " I ran into my ex-girlfriend ... "

— Yankee

  • Hi Angliholic Generally speaking, you would "run across" a thing rather than a person.
  • However, you could say " I ran into my ex-girlfriend ...
  • "
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6 Answers
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Hi Angliholic

Generally speaking, you would "run across" a thing rather than a person. However, you could say "I ran into my ex-girlfriend ..."
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Yes, they do. But I use "I bumped into..." a lot more for people. For some reason, I tend to use "ran/came across" for non-humans and inanimate objects.
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Thanks, Amy and Arvsworld.

To make sure, is it perfectly natural to say the first sample?
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AngliholicTo make sure, is it perfectly natural to say the first sample?

Hi there, Angliholic,

In my opinion, it sounds alright to use the first sample that you have stated, though it is not frequently used among people.

Hope that I have helped in some way~
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There is a possibility that some readers will interpret "a chance encounter" as "a casual sexual encounter".

MrP
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