I know that I can say "I was drawn to someone," but can I also say "I was drawn to something by X"? I want to imply how I came across a topic that later became a serious project for me. Or should I simply use "come across"?
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1Drawn to a person or thing i.e. attracted to. But no "by" in my opinion. However, my attention was drawn to the painting by my friend.– LambieCommented Nov 7, 2021 at 20:48
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1@Lambie -- "The picture caught my eye immediately. I was drawn by the unique colorization of the image."– Hot LicksCommented Nov 7, 2021 at 21:32
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I was drawn to it by X is common enough in Google Books.– DjinTonicCommented Nov 7, 2021 at 21:39
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2@cruthers 'I was drawn to it the image' - really?– Michael HarveyCommented Nov 7, 2021 at 22:48
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1I want to imply how I came across a topic that later became a serious project for me. suggests to me that whatever drew you to the topic may not have been what induced you to make it a serious project. I was drawn to Jennifer by her lustrous blond curls and became ensnared by her curious mind.– High Performance MarkCommented Nov 8, 2021 at 9:21
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1 Answer
"Come across" connotes a particular happenstance, usually without much meaning about one's internal state or reaction to it.
You can definitely use "drawn to" for a topic. One can imagine using them together, like
As a child, Mike Duncan came across Gibbon's books at a relative's house. As Duncan read them, he found that he was drawn to the study of Roman History.
