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MUSCOVITE Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

in the pages

Hi,

In these pages you will find lots of information about the Siberain Cat Breed and The Club...

(taken from a UK site)

(1) Could you please explain to me why in these pages, not on these pages is used in this sentence.

(2) Would this sentence be compromised in any way if I replaced the preposition IN with ON here?

mus-te
  

Top answer

In is quite often used with the plural pages but not with the singular page. Page isn't the only word that behaves a little erratically in this respect. Another one that comes to my mind is mountain: He has a cottage on the mountain.

— Cool Breeze

  • In is quite often used with the plural pages but not with the singular page.
  • Page isn't the only word that behaves a little erratically in this respect.
  • Another one that comes to my mind is mountain: He has a cottage on the mountain.
  • He has a cottage in the mountains.
  • CB
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4 Answers
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In is quite often used with the plural pages but not with the singular page. Page isn't the only word that behaves a little erratically in this respect. Another one that comes to my mind is mountain:

He has a cottage on the mountain.
He has a cottage in the mountains.


CB
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Cool Breeze:

Thank you for the VERY INTERESTING comment!

Let's take another look at your example sentences please.
Cool Breeze
He has a cottage on the mountain. (1)
He has a cottage in the mountains. (2)
I am not sure but (1) and (2) seem to differ in meaning a little?

HE HAS
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I wouldn't say on the mountains at all. The expression conjures a mental picture of a gigantic cottage which is so huge that it needs several mountain tops to support it.

CB
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Cool BreezeI wouldn't say on the mountains at all.
I see.
The version with "a cottage on the mountains" sound odd in my native language too :-)
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