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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
On vs. In
"I'm on the basketball team in winter."
A Japanese English teacher that I work with asked me why we use the preposition "on" instead of "in" for describing membership of sports teams as well as "in" instead of "on" for other kinds of clubs which aren't sports-related [e.g. choir].
I gave a very random guess (i.e. perhaps it's that in most of those sports, there's always someone on the bench, yet still on the team; but in groups like choirs, everyone participates simultaneously) before telling her that I would ask other teachers to get a better, more accurate explanation. We'd never say: "I'm in the football team." or "I'm on the choir club," Why is that?
A Japanese English teacher that I work with asked me why we use the preposition "on" instead of "in" for describing membership of sports teams as well as "in" instead of "on" for other kinds of clubs which aren't sports-related [e.g. choir].
I gave a very random guess (i.e. perhaps it's that in most of those sports, there's always someone on the bench, yet still on the team; but in groups like choirs, everyone participates simultaneously) before telling her that I would ask other teachers to get a better, more accurate explanation. We'd never say: "I'm in the football team." or "I'm on the choir club," Why is that?
Top answer
Hi, Such preposition use is often very idiomatic. We say certain things because that is how we say them. Ask him/her if the Japanese language is 100% logical, with no idiomatic usages at all.
- Hi, Such preposition use is often very idiomatic.
- We say certain things because that is how we say them.
- Ask him/her if the Japanese language is 100% logical, with no idiomatic usages at all.
- I'd be very surprised..
- Clive
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2 Answers
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Hi,
Such preposition use is often very idiomatic. We say certain things because that is how we say them.
Ask him/her if the Japanese language is 100% logical, with no idiomatic usages at all. I'd be very surprised..
Clive
Such preposition use is often very idiomatic. We say certain things because that is how we say them.
Ask him/her if the Japanese language is 100% logical, with no idiomatic usages at all. I'd be very surprised..
Clive
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...perhaps it's that in most of those sports, there's always someone on the bench, yet still on the team; but in groups like choirs, everyone participates simultaneously-- I certainly don't recommend this explanation: it is too far-fetched. There is probably a valid one, one lost in history, I suppose. Perhaps it has something to do with being on a roster, a list? Sports teams generally
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