Run after means to chase someone or something on foot, trying to catch them. In an informal, romantic sense, it also means to keep trying to win someone's affection: he's running after her.
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run after + person/animal/vehicle; run after + someone (informal, romantic interest)
- I ran after the bus, but the doors had already closed.
- The kids ran after the ice-cream van as soon as they heard the music.
- He spent the whole summer running after her, but she only wanted to be friends.
What changed
First versionI ran behind the bus, but it had already left.
RevisionI ran after the bus, but it had already left.
It's easy to assume you need behind here, since chasing someone can feel like running behind them. But run after already carries the idea of chasing, and it's followed straight away by the person or thing you're chasing: ran after the bus, not ran behind it.
Chase means almost the same thing, but it doesn't need a preposition and doesn't have to involve running: a chase can happen in a car, too — The police chased the car for ten miles. Run after specifically means chasing on foot: run after the bus, run after a thief.
Your turn
The bus started moving, so Tom ___ it and just managed to jump on.
Show the answer
ran after — Tom managed to catch the bus and jump on, so ran after fits. Ran behind would just mean he was running somewhere behind the bus, with no sense that he was trying to catch it.
Describe a time you ran after someone or something to catch up with them. Say who or what you were chasing and how it ended.
I ran after the postman down our street and caught him just before he drove off with my parcel.
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