I had a chance encounter with my ex-girlfriend

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Angliholic

#453661 Sun, 16 Dec 07 12:09 PM

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.

Angliholic

Joined on Wed, Feb 14 2007

SomewhereinFormosa

Veteran Member (5,511)

Without true love, life is meaningless and worthless since our physical world is nothing but a dream. ~~Angliholic~~簡瑞達

Yankee

#453684 Sun, 16 Dec 07 01:12 PM

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

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,267)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Arvsworld

#453685 Sun, 16 Dec 07 01:14 PM

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.

Arvsworld

Joined on Sun, Feb 26 2006

Here, There and Everywhere

Full Member (178)

What? Where? When? How? Who? Why?

Angliholic

#453707 Sun, 16 Dec 07 01:42 PM

Thanks, Amy and Arvsworld.

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

Angliholic

Sample

Pink Dolphin

#453718 Sun, 16 Dec 07 02:18 PM

Angliholic wrote:

To 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~ Smile [:)]

Pink Dolphin

Joined on Sun, Dec 16 2007

New Member (02)

Sample

Angliholic

#453735 Sun, 16 Dec 07 02:41 PM

Thanks, PD.

Got it.

Angliholic

MrPedantic

#453740 Sun, 16 Dec 07 02:47 PM

There is a possibility that some readers will interpret "a chance encounter" as "a casual sexual encounter".

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Wed, Oct 13 2004

Veteran Member (12,142)

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