Preposition

Question

I'm currently reading an article. One line reads:
"You wouldn't want to ask someone from the UK about his or her occupation on the first meeting".
Here's the question. if I substitute "on" with "in" or "at", then does it alter the sense of sentence? if yes, In what way?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

"You wouldn't want to ask someone from the UK about his or her occupation on the first meeting".

Danaged prepositions anyway!

It's all a matter of common usage.

We'd say "Don't do it on your first date."

There are meetings and there are meetings:
We just met. Don't do it on the occasion of our first meeting.
There'll be a meeting in room 20 at four o'clock. Will you be in/at that meeting?

Yes, the preposition makes a difference.
If you replace "on" with "in" or "at," the sense will be altered.

If this is a personal one-on-one meeting between the two of you, I think only "on" is appropriate. It has the sense of "upon the first meeting."

"In" would have the sense of "during the first meeting."

"At" would have the sense of "at the location of the first meeting."

These are not necessarily exact, or etched in stone.

Best regards, - A.

Preposition

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