作者名称 国旗国籍

Morgan

EN

CN

2021.03.18 08:02

Position words: In and On - when to use which?

Here's a simple

rule of thumb for "on": Anything can be on something flat.

examples:
I hung a picture on the wall. (walls are flat and vertical)
I was on the field ( the ground is generally flat)
She stood on a chair. (a chair is usually flat)
He saw it on TV (TV screens are flat)

Use In when there is something to be "inside".

examples:
I hung the picture in the middle of the wall. (the boundaries are the edges of the wall)
I was in the field (the field is bounded by its edges)
She was in the dining room (a room is bound by walls)
He saw the advert in the TV program (the program has a start and end, which are its boundaries).

Ask me your tricky "on or in" questions below 👇👇👇
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Comments

  • Rocío M 2021.03.23 05:20

    ES
    EN

    What about AT?
  • Morgan 2021.03.23 06:25

    EN
    CN

    @Rocío M "At" is for specific places and times. I'll meet you at the park, at 2pm on Saturday At the park (park is a location) At 2pm (2pm is a time) On Saturday ( Saturday is a day, consider the calendar week/month as a flat piece of paper) In week 34 ✅ on week 34✅ In February ✅ on February 16th✅ On February ❌
  • Leah 2021.03.23 07:39

    CN
    EN

    It helps a lot. Thank you for your sharing.
  • Kevin Wang 2021.03.23 09:13

    CN
    EN

    This is very useful. Can you share some more prepositions?
  • Kevin Wang 2021.03.23 09:20

    CN
    EN

    such as into, thin, throughout, above and so on
  • Morgan 2021.03.23 09:34

    EN
    CN

    @Kevin Wang what do you find challenging with these words? I'll do another moment with my ideas on them.
  • Julie 2021.03.23 09:42

    KR
    EN

    Which one is correct? I am stuck in traffic Or I am stuck on traffic
  • Faiza فائزہ 2021.03.23 09:46

    UR
    EN

    I'm confused that when to use "I was on the field" and "I was in the field".
  • Morgan 2021.03.23 09:49

    EN
    CN

    @Faiza فائزہ you can use either in this case, you can stand inside the four sides of the field (use in), or you can stand on top of the grass (use on). In this case it makes no change to the meaning.
  • Faiza فائزہ 2021.03.23 09:52

    UR
    EN

    @Morgan Oh okay, I get it, Thanks! 😊
  • Morgan 2021.03.23 09:54

    EN
    CN

    @Julie use stuck in traffic if you are inside your vehicle (car/bus/train etc..) Use stuck on traffic if you're standing on top of a car that is in traffic (not likely, unless you're a stunt-woman🦸‍♂️🤣) or you can also say stuck on "xxxx" if you're taking about a problem. A: which question did you get to? B: I'm up to question 20, but I'm stuck on "traffic" (traffic is a feature of the question 20 problem)
  • Julie 2021.03.23 10:05

    KR
    EN

    @Morgan I found it very helpful. Thanks
  • Christophe Danjon 2021.03.23 10:41

    FR
    EN

    You are on a swing not in a swing, right ?
  • Morgan 2021.03.24 03:50

    EN
    CN

    @Christophe Danjon yes! Except those little baby swings, we say that we put the baby in a swing, because those swings have big sides and the baby really is *In*
  • Morgan 2021.03.24 03:52

    EN
    CN

    @Christophe Danjon also, if your swing is big and has a harness, which wraps tightly to your body, we would say you're in the swing. But for regular old park swings and bits of a rope, you're on the swing.
  • Christophe Danjon 2021.03.24 06:21

    FR
    EN

    @Morgan I thought about the old one but you can be in à swing, makes sense. Thanks
  • ZZ 2021.03.27 15:43

    CN
    EN

    Can I say “on tomorrow morning”?
  • Morgan 2021.03.27 20:00

    EN
    CN

    @ZZ we usually wouldn't say on tomorrow. It will be done tomorrow. It will be done on Tuesday. It will be done after tomorrow It will be done by tomorrow It will be done on tomorrow's festival It will be on tomorrow's job list. So there are some places where we use on tomorrow together, but the word tomorrow is being used as an adjective of the following noun. So we are really saying "on" the noun (eg the job list). And that the job list belongs to tomorrow.
  • ZZ 2021.03.27 23:29

    CN
    EN

    @Morgan thank you so much!!! I'll save this.
  • Ahmed 2021.03.31 20:43

    AR
    EN

    thanks alot!
  • Amy 2021.06.03 14:20

    CN
    EN

    @Morgan what is the difference with“in week34 and on week 34?
  • Morgan 2021.06.03 21:05

    EN
    CN

    @Amy when you say something is "on week 34" you're implying the amount of time is a "flat surface". Think of a calendar "on" a flat sheet of paper. When something is "in week 34" the implication is that the time is progressing linearly from earlier weeks to later weeks. In this instance there is very little semantic difference between "in" and "on", both are equally valid.
  • Cinderella 2021.07.12 10:54

    CN
    EN

    Thank you sk much

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