run after — to chase someone or something
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To quickly follow someone or something because you want to catch them or get their attention.
Say it like a native
Textbook The dog pursued the postman down the street.
Native The dog ran after the postman.
'Run after' is the everyday verb for chasing; 'pursue' is formal.
Pattern: run after + noun/pronoun
In use
- The little boy ran after his dog when it escaped from the yard.daily life
- In my hometown, you often see children running after ice cream trucks in the summer.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She ran after to the bus.
✓ She ran after the bus.
'Run after' takes the object directly — no 'to'.
Common collocations
run after + target— the bus, the dog, him, the kids
Don't confuse it
'Run after' means to chase, while 'run away' means to escape or move in the opposite direction.