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What's the best idiomatic way of putting a line in a diary about visiting some family whose last name you don't know?

For example, today I have visited Jack and Marry, but I don't know their last name. What should I write?

Could it be like:

  1. Paid a visit to Jack and Marry's home.

or

  1. Paid a visit of Jack and Marry's home.

or

  1. Paid a visit to Jack and Marry's house.

or

  1. Paid a visit of Jack and Marry's house.

or

  1. Paid a visit of Jack and Marry's.

or

  1. Paid a visit to Jack and Marry's.

or is there a better way yet?

NOTE: By "the best idiomatic way" I mean the way a native English speaker (preferably an American) would put that.

EDIT: I understand that a verb "visit/visited" might be very suitable here; however, I am very much interested in whether using the noun "visit" may also be idiomatic in this situation.

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9
  • Please do some minimal research before posting questions which are answerable with a dictionary. See Merriam-Webster: He paid a visit to his parents. That would already eliminate three of the six options.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:38
  • 1
    Using the verb visited is the most idiomatic way, "to pay a visit to" is quite formal, suitable in a report, essay or a very formal letter, but unlikely in a native speaker's personal diary.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:43
  • Saying that, the answer to this question contradicts my experience “Visit” vs “pay a visit to” I would say "I visited some friends" rather than "I paid a visit to some friends".
    – Mari-Lou A
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:46
  • I'd say your number 6 sounds most natural and idiomatic to me. "Paid a visit to Jack and Mary's." (Or "Paid a visit to Jack and Mary.")
    – Showsni
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:47
  • @Mari-LouA - "Please do some minimal research before posting questions which are answerable with a dictionary. See Merriam-Webster. That would already eliminate three of the six options" - But Webster doesn't say that "of" or other prepositions are never to be used in this case. Besides, in my experience, many times what Webster says is too official as opposed to the idiomatic and common. For example, you won't find "What can I do you for?" in Webster. Thanks for all your input here.
    – brilliant
    Oct 9, 2020 at 11:13

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

Visit Jack and Mary.

Visited Jack and Mary.

Using a noun

Paid Jack and Mary a visit.

Note

It's not impossible that someone be called Marry but a more likely name is Mary.

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7
  • Thank you! Please, tell me what a native speaker would write if he were forced to use the noun "visit" instead of the verb "visit".
    – brilliant
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:25
  • Do you want American English or British English?
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:27
  • American is preferable, but British is also fine.
    – brilliant
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:28
  • I've given the British version.
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Oct 9, 2020 at 10:35
  • But doesn't your version contain the verb "visit" instead of a noun?
    – brilliant
    Oct 9, 2020 at 11:04

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