'on' or 'in'

This is a tricky one with the tree.

On is used when you're on the surface of something.
In is used when you're within the confines of something.

I'd say in here.

"in" - If you mean they had climbed up the tree.

At Yahoo:
1,450 for "hiding in the tree"
73 for "hiding on the tree"
it gives you an idea

Marius HancuAt Yahoo:
1,450 for "hiding in the tree"
73 for "hiding on the tree"
it gives you an idea

Marius, but the boys were not hiding in / on the tree. They were standing on the branch of a tree. That makes me confused.

The birds were in the tree. This sentence poses no problem. But the one above causes me to have some doubt

If they're standing on a branch of the tree - then they're "in the tree".

AnnvanIf they're standing on a branch of the tree - then they're "in the tree".

Thanks, Ann.

Yoong Liat

Marius HancuAt Yahoo:
1,450 for "hiding in the tree"
73 for "hiding on the tree"
it gives you an idea

Marius, but the boys were not hiding in / on the tree. They were standing on the branch of a tree. That makes me confused.

The birds were in the tree. This sentence poses no problem. But the one

"Once the children were on the tree, they started to pluck the rambutans"

Or 'up the tree'... if they'd climbed up there.

By the way, you don't pluck rambutans, you pick them...

pluck

• verb 1 take hold of (something) and quickly remove it from its place. 2 pull out (a hair, feather, etc.) 3 pull the feathers from (a bird’s carcass) to prepare it for cooking.

Hi Tam Sadek

You say 'By the way, you don't pluck rambutans, you pick them..."

Whether I should pick or pluck was confusing to me. I have learned from books on English usage that we pick (not pluck) flowers. What was I was not sure about was whether we pluck or pick rambutans.

Thanks for your reply.

You can pluck flowers if you remove/pick the petals off/from them, one by one.