Prepositions

Question

would "is" and "on" both fit in the following context?He did well on/in the exams. He did a fantastic project on/in Fluid Mechanics.Thanks!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

would "is" and "on" both fit in the following context? Where I live, yes. Although I favour 'on' in the second sentence.

He did well on/in the exams. He did a fantastic project on/in Fluid Mechanics.

Clive

Chona · Answer

sources: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/03/

Choosing Between "In" and "On"

Nouns denoting enclosed spaces, such as a field or a window, take both on and in. The prepositions have their normal meanings with these nouns: on is used when the space is considered as a surface, in when the space is presented as an area:

Three players are practicing on the field. (surface)

Three cows are grazing in the field. (area)

The frost made patterns on the window. (surface)

A face appeared in the window. (area)

Notice that in implies that the field is enclosed, whereas on implies only that the following noun denotes a surface and not necessarily an enclosed area:

The sheep are grazing in the pasture. (enclosed by a fence)

The cattle are grazing on the open range. (not enclosed by a fence)

Three players are on the basketball court. (not enclosed)

Two boxers are in the ring. (enclosed by ropes)

When the area has metaphorical instead of actual boundaries, such as when field means "academic discipline," in is used:

She is a leading researcher in the bioengineering field.

Several common uses of in and on occur with street. The first two follow the general pattern of in and on usage. The third is an idiom that must be learned as a unit.

a) The children are playing in the street.

b) Our house is on Third Street.

c) He declared bankruptcy last week, and now he's out on the street.
(This is an idiom meaning that he's poor.)

In a), the street is understood as an area enclosed by the sidewalks on either side. Compare b) with the discussion of sentence 3) in the first section. Here, on locates the house on either side of Third Street; it doesn't mean that the street is a surface on which the house sits. Because the street is understood as a line next to which the house is situated, on functions much like at in its normal use; in other words, it locates the house in relation to the street but does not specify the exact address. For that purpose, at is used because the address is like a particular point on the line. Compare: "Our house is at 323 Third Street." In c), out on the street is an idiom meaning "poor" or "destitute."

In and on are also used with means of transportation: in is used with a car, on with public or commercial means of transportation:

in the car
on the bus
on the plane
on the train
on the ship

Some speakers of English make a further distinction for public modes of transportation, using in when the carrier is stationary and on when it is in motion.

My wife stayed in/on the bus while I got out at the rest stop.
The passengers sat in/on the plane awaiting takeoff.

The answer is:

He did well in exams..

The answer is:

He did a fantastic project in Fluid Mechanics.

Anonymous · Answer

Hello Clive,

Thanks! Buoy, I'm seeing your presence after a very long time! I hope you are doing great! Btw, is your dialect (Canadian) different from American English? I thought AmE and Canadian English (usage) were the same (except the spelling). How can one find the difference between the accents (American and Canadian)?

Thanks again!

Clive · Answer

Hello,

I see very little difference in the accents myself. To me, it's mainly small and subtle differences in vocabulary and grammar. And a lot of cultural differences.

Don't worry about it!

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Clive,

Thanks again!

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Choosing Between "In" and "On"

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