Phrasal Verb: 'Come across' (Find/Seem)

This phrasal verb has two distinct personalities. The first personality is transitive. This means it needs an object. You come across something. For example, you come across a rare coin. You cannot just say "I came across." Your listener will wait for the rest. The second personality is about impressions. Here, we usually add the word as. You come across as confident. This describes how the world perceives you. It is like a mirror reflecting your personality. Sometimes, the verb stands alone to mean "to be understood." If your message comes across, people get it. It is like a bridge between your mind and theirs. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. It directs the flow of your observations. It is simple but very powerful.

1. 1For finding things: Subject + come across + object.
2. 2For impressions: Subject + come across as + adjective/noun.
3. 3For communication: Subject + come across (intransitive).
4. 4In the past tense, come becomes came.
5. 5In the continuous form, use coming across.
6. 6Never put the object between come and across.
7. 7It is an inseparable phrasal verb.

Use it when you find something by chance. You are browsing a bookstore. You come across a book by your favorite author. Use it in job interviews. You want to come across as professional and eager. Use it when discussing research. You came across a strange statistic in the report. It is perfect for social storytelling. "You won't believe what I came across today!" It works well in academic writing too. It describes encountering ideas in a text. Use it to give feedback on someone's behavior. "He comes across as a bit shy at first." It is a very flexible tool for your kit.

Do not use it for intentional searching. If you are looking for your keys, you don't come across them. You find them after a search. Come across implies a lack of planning. Do not use it for meeting people by appointment. You don't come across your boss for a meeting. You meet your boss. Do not use it for physical movement across a room. If you walk across a bridge, you just cross it. Using come across there sounds very strange. It is not for planned events. It is not for simple physical transit. Keep it for the unexpected and the perceived.

Many people try to add with to the phrase. They say, "I came across with a problem." This is a big no-no. It hurts my grammar-loving heart. Just say, "I came across a problem." Another mistake is separating the verb. Never say, "I came the book across." It must stay together like best friends. Some people forget the as for impressions. "He comes across nice" is okay in slang. However, "He comes across as nice" is much better. Don't use it for people you know well. You don't come across your mom at home. That sounds like she is a stranger or a ghost!

Compare come across with run into. You run into people you know. You come across things or traits. If you run into a problem, it stops you. If you come across a problem, you just notice it. Compare it with seem. Seem is a general feeling. Come across as is about the specific image you project. Seem is passive. Come across feels more like an active observation. Compare it with stumble upon. Stumble upon is even more accidental. It is like tripping over a discovery. Come across is a bit more sophisticated. It is the elegant cousin of find.