meet/see/pass/know

[Nefertiti]

Did Dave speak to you this morning?

No,he____me,but he didn't notice me.

1. met
2. saw
3. passed
4. knew
5. had seen
6. any better suggestions?

Pick the appropriate answer(s). Please explain.

Thanks

[Tdol]

3 - was close but didn't see

[jctgf]

Originally Posted by Tdol

3 - was close but didn't see

hi,
is ''pass'' the best verb in this sentence, I mean, the verb that a native speaker would say?
thanks.

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by jctgf

hi,
is ''pass'' the best verb in this sentence, I mean, the verb that a native speaker would say?
thanks.

Hi,
Yes it is definately the best of the examples given and it is the verb that most native speakers would use.

[RonBee]

A sentence can be gammatical but still not make sense. Examples:

No, he met me, but he didn't notice me.
No, he saw me, but he didn't notice me.
No, he knew me, but he didn't notice me.

Real life possibilites:

He passed me, but he didn't take notice of me.
He passed me, but he didn't speak to me.
He passed me, but he didn't see me.

As for:

He passed me, but he didn't notice me.

How do you know? (Apparently, some people are aware not only of their own mental activity but also that of others.)

[Nefertiti]

Hi RB.

He passed me, but he didn't take notice of me.

He passed me, but he didn't see me.

He passed me, but he didn't notice me.


What's the difference among the three?


Thanks for the reply.

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by RonBee

A sentence can be gammatical but still not make sense. Examples:

No, he met me, but he didn't notice me.
No, he saw me, but he didn't notice me.
No, he knew me, but he didn't notice me.

Real life possibilites:

He passed me, but he didn't take notice of me.
He passed me, but he didn't speak to me.
He passed me, but he didn't see me.

As for:

He passed me, but he didn't notice me.

How do you know? (Apparently, some people are aware not only of their own mental activity but also that of others.)

Hi Ron,

He passed me, but he didn't notice me.

Of course you are right, that sentence implies knowledge of anothers thoughts, perhaps I didn't make myself sufficiently clear. What I meant was that, of the choices given, the verb "to pass" was the best option and the verb that most native speakers would use. I didn't make any comment about whether that sentence was logical or not. It would of course be better as "He passed me, but he didn't seem/appear to notice me.

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

Hi RB.

He passed me, but he didn't take notice of me.

He passed me, but he didn't see me.

He passed me, but he didn't notice me.


What's the difference among the three?


Thanks for the reply.

Hi,
See Ron's answer, "He passed me, but he didn't notice me". implies knowledge of anothers thoughts. However, many people would say just that.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

Hi RB.

He passed me, but he didn't take notice of me.

He passed me, but he didn't see me.

He passed me, but he didn't notice me.

What's the difference among the three?

If a person takes notice of you he makes some sign of acknowledgement--a not of the head, a wave of a hand--whatever.

You can be fairly sure a person has seen you if you have made eye contact. You can be pretty sure that a person hasn't seen you if you are pretty sure that you did not make eye contact and you were where you couldn't have been seen by that person.

If you say "He passed me, but he didn't notice me" you are assuming that the person either didn't see you or if he did see you he didn't know it was you.

~R