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The police came and looked for them.

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wowenglish1

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Sep 4, 2006
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Is there any difference in meaning between "1" and "2"?
1. The police came and looked for them.
2. The police came looking for them.
 

Tdol

Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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Not much, but #1 suggests they were less likely to have found them IMO.
 

sergeyrais

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Is there any difference in meaning between "1" and "2"?
1. The police came and looked for them.
2. The police came looking for them.

I'll try to explain it as I see it:

1. The police came and looked for them. - One action (coming) was over, and then the second action (looking for them) started.

2. The police came looking for them. - Two actions (coming and looking for them) were simultaneous.
 
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