Run Out of or Run Into?

by Vocafy Geverifieerd

Engels (VS) B1 Vragen (15) Words & expressions Work & money

Explore short stories about empty supplies and unexpected meetings, from everyday meanings to small but important differences.

1. 1. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.

   We ran ___ milk, so there's none left for breakfast.

   • out of
   • into

   The sentence describes an empty supply.

   Show solution

   We ran out of milk, so there's none left for breakfast.

   Use “run out of” when you have used all of something and have none left.

2. 2. Kies het juiste antwoord.

   What happened at the store?

   “I ran into my neighbor at the store. What a surprise!”

   • The speaker met their neighbor by chance.
   • The speaker had arranged to meet their neighbor.
   • The speaker walked past their neighbor without noticing them.

   The speaker was surprised by the meeting.

   Show solution

   • The speaker met their neighbor by chance.

   “Run into someone” means to meet them unexpectedly, even when you already know them.

3. 3. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.

   Yesterday, I unexpectedly ___ my old teacher at the library.

   • run into
   • running into
   • ran into

   The meeting happened yesterday.

   Show solution

   Yesterday, I unexpectedly ran into my old teacher at the library.

   The past form of “run” is “ran.” Both expressions use this same past form.

4. 4. Kies het juiste antwoord.

   Which sentence describes the coffee supply now?

   “I used the last coffee in the jar. The jar is empty now.”

   • We're nearly out of coffee.
   • We've run out of coffee.
   • We haven't run out of coffee.

   Is any coffee still in the jar?

   Show solution

   • We've run out of coffee.

   “Nearly out” means some remains. “Have run out” describes a supply that is already gone.

5. 5. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.

   We ran out ___ napkins during the picnic, so we used paper towels instead.

   • into
   • of
   • from

   The missing word connects “ran out” to the supply.

   Show solution

   We ran out of napkins during the picnic, so we used paper towels instead.

   Keep “of” before the thing that is no longer available: “run out of napkins.”

6. 6. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.

   “Do we have any rice left?”
   “No, we've run ___.”

   • out
   • into
   • of

   The first speaker has already named the supply.

   Show solution

   “Do we have any rice left?”
   “No, we've run out.”

   You can say “We've run out” without repeating the supply when the listener knows what you mean.

7. 7. Kies het juiste antwoord.

   How many snacks are available now?

   “We're running out of snacks. There are only two bags left.”

   • There are no snacks left.
   • There are some snacks, but the supply is getting low.
   • There are more snacks than before.

   Notice the difference between “running out” and “have run out.”

   Show solution

   • There are some snacks, but the supply is getting low.

   “Running out” often describes a supply getting smaller. It does not always mean the supply is already empty.

8. 8. Kies het juiste antwoord.

   What happened to the speaker's money?

   “After paying for lunch and a train ticket, I ran out of money. My wallet was still in my bag.”

   • It was left at home.
   • It was lost with the wallet.
   • It was all spent.

   The speaker describes purchases, not a missing wallet.

   Show solution

   • It was all spent.

   Money can be a supply too. “Run out of money” describes having no money left, not losing your wallet.

9. 9. Kies het juiste antwoord.

   What does the speaker say about meeting people?

   “The market was crowded, but I didn't run into anyone I knew.”

   • The speaker did not meet anyone they knew.
   • The speaker was alone at the market.
   • The speaker unexpectedly met several friends.

   The negative statement is about familiar people, not the whole crowd.

   Show solution

   • The speaker did not meet anyone they knew.

   “Didn't run into anyone I knew” allows for plenty of strangers to be present.

10. 10. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.

    We still have water, but the bottles are almost empty. If we don't buy more, we'll ___ water soon.

    • ran out of
    • run into
    • run out of

    This is a future shortage. “We'll” means “we will.”

    Show solution

    We still have water, but the bottles are almost empty. If we don't buy more, we'll run out of water soon.

    After “will,” use “run,” not “ran.” “Will run out of” predicts that a supply will be used up.

11. 11. Kies het juiste antwoord.

    How can Alex describe the meeting using “him”?

    Alex unexpectedly met Ben outside the movie theater.

    • I ran him into.
    • I ran into him.
    • I ran into he.

    Keep “run into” together and use an object pronoun.

    Show solution

    • I ran into him.

    The person comes after “into,” even with a pronoun: “run into him,” not “run him into.”

12. 12. Vul het ontbrekende woord in.

    “Have you ___ Nina lately?”
    “Yes, I saw her by chance at the gym this week.”

    • ran into
    • running into
    • run into

    Look at the verb form needed after “Have you.”

    Show solution

    “Have you run into Nina lately?”
    “Yes, I saw her by chance at the gym this week.”

    Use “have run,” not “have ran.” The forms are “run,” “ran,” and “run.”

13. 13. Kies het juiste antwoord.

    Which supply is unavailable?

    “We've run out of paper cups, but we still have plenty of clean glass cups.”

    • There are no cups of any kind left.
    • There are no paper cups left.
    • There are no clean glass cups left.

    Pay attention to the exact words after “out of.”

    Show solution

    • There are no paper cups left.

    The words after “out of” name the missing supply. Other kinds of the same item may still be available.

14. 14. Kies het juiste antwoord.

    Which summary matches both expressions?

    “We ran out of ice, so I walked to the store. Near the entrance, I ran into Rosa. I hadn't expected to see her there.”

    • The speaker needed more ice and met Rosa by chance.
    • The speaker still had ice and met Rosa by chance.
    • The speaker needed more ice and had arranged to meet Rosa.

    One expression describes a supply; the other describes a meeting.

    Show solution

    • The speaker needed more ice and met Rosa by chance.

    The same verb, “run,” has two different meanings here. The words that follow it help show which meaning is intended.

15. 15. Kies het juiste antwoord.

    What was true when the speaker bought the batteries?

    “I bought more batteries before we ran out of them. At the checkout, I ran into Luis, who was shopping there too. Neither of us knew the other would be there.”

    • No batteries remained at home, and the meeting was unexpected.
    • Some batteries remained at home, and the meeting was planned.
    • Some batteries remained at home, and the meeting was unexpected.

    Notice “before” and what both people knew about the meeting.

    Show solution

    • Some batteries remained at home, and the meeting was unexpected.

    Buying something “before we run out” means buying it while some remains. The word “before” changes when the shortage happens.