met these two

USAGE SUMMARY

'met these two' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when talking about having encountered two people or things, for example "At the party, I met these two people who were travelling the world".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

Riley Suhar met these two exchange students while an undergraduate.

Stanford University

My sister met these two sailors and brought my husband over to me.

The New York Times

"I met these two guys and they were very enthusiastic about what they said," Eriksson said.

The Guardian - Sport

I met these two guys in London and we stick together.

The Guardian

I met these two lads from Cornwall and they do this hip-hop, rap-type act that is all about Cornish pasties and surfing.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"CHRIS MATTHEWS walks in and says, 'Bull, why are you here?' The unspoken answer is, 'I'm here to deny ever having met these two guys.' " Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Ziegler did not return calls for comment yesterday.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

Have you met these three thieves?

Huffington Post

I met these three people in a nine-story Christian church for North Korean refugees in Seoul.

Vice

Let's see, it all started when I met these three swarthy men, deep in the foothills of Tanzania..

Huffington Post

Only 70 candidate junctions met these three criteria.

Bioinformatics

All of the patients who met these three criteria were eligible to enroll in the study.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "met these two", ensure clarity by specifying who "these two" refers to, especially if it's not immediately obvious from the context. For example, "At the conference, I met these two researchers who are experts in their fields."

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by ensuring "these two" has a clear and immediate antecedent. For example, instead of saying "I met them. These two were very interesting", specify: "I met John and Mary. These two were very interesting".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "met these two" functions as a transitive verb phrase indicating an action performed by a subject upon two specific objects (people or things). Ludwig confirms its correctness and common usage. It establishes a direct encounter or connection.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

25%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Wiki

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "met these two" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to describe an encounter with two specific individuals or items. As Ludwig confirms, it's suitable for various contexts, particularly in news and media, but its neutrality makes it appropriate for general use. While more formal alternatives like "encountered these two" exist, "met these two" offers a straightforward and readily understood way to convey information about a meeting. Remember to maintain clarity by ensuring that "these two" clearly refers to specific entities known to the audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

encountered these two

Replaces "met" with a more formal synonym, "encountered".

first met these two

Emphasizes that it was the initial meeting.

came across these two

Uses a phrasal verb to express the meeting, implying a chance encounter.

ran into these two

Another phrasal verb suggesting an unexpected meeting.

happened to meet these two

Adds emphasis on the coincidental nature of the meeting.

connected with these two

Highlights the establishment of a relationship.

was introduced to these two

Specifies that the meeting involved an introduction by someone else.

got acquainted with these two

Implies the beginning of a relationship after the meeting.

made the acquaintance of these two

A more formal way of saying "got acquainted with".

had the pleasure of meeting these two

Adds a tone of enjoyment to the meeting.

FAQs

What does "met these two" mean?

The phrase "met these two" means that you encountered two specific people or things, usually for the first time, and established contact or a relationship with them. The exact nuance depends on the context.

What can I say instead of "met these two"?

You can use alternatives like "encountered these two", "came across these two", or "ran into these two" depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is "met these two" formal or informal?

"Met these two" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, more formal alternatives exist, such as "encountered these two".

How do I use "met these two" in a sentence?

You can use "met these two" in a sentence to describe an encounter, such as "I met these two colleagues at the conference" or "While traveling, I met these two interesting travelers."