Sat in back

Question

Hello....1. He sat in back.2. He sat back in.*******1 means "He sat in the back seat or some place in the rear of something" and 2 means "He sat in again"?

GPY · Accepted Answer

(1) is not correct. "He sat in the back" is correct.

(2) is as you say.

Pructus · Answer

Thanks so much, GPY!!

For some reference, here is a result from COCA.

I rode shotgun, Billington drove. Jones, Perez and McGuire sat in back. We left Balad at 0800 and bounced along a wadi heavy with rocks,

them in his laundry truck. Regina sat up front, and Lillian sat in back on a tire with Howie. Izzy pressed the accelerator, released the accelerator,

him down the walk to my car. My mother followed. She sat in back with him, using her thumbs to clear her tears away. After a few

car, once around the church, twice around the graveyard. I sat in back. In the front seat Matt pounded the plastic farmer against the dash and the

Moscow might have called music but to her was just noise. She sat in back with her two bags of possessions while Leonid, his great wide shoulders sagging against

and follow me. # In the car no one spoke. Penelope sat in back, sniffing intermittently, crying. Mary's place was only a room that had

we finished, the mystery woman slipped into the conference room. She sat in back, dressed for a fancy cocktail party, smiling intently at no one but me

Wikipedia list of confirmed veterans. Meanwhile the two strangers shook hands and sat in back, across from each other in a little booth. I heard a few words

in the passenger seat, Shad hovered between us, and Alice Blue sat in back with Val and Nadine as Walter headed for a service station in Okehampton. As

Franny had her eyes closed, running in her dreams. My brothers sat in back, playing cards. I drank some more warm water. My mother's hand

as if she were going to a society wedding. Segura and Bourelle sat in back, separated by loaves of paper-wrapped bread, gifts to the village. There'd

over, until I wanted to throttle him. I wished we had sat in back, near the bar, where the contemporary little chairs and tables seem spiffier,

. Uncle Willie sat in front with Murph. Aunt Easy and I sat in back. Most cars can't dawdle, but we did. As we passed through

a cotton swab. A Land Cruiser escort followed us. Eight soldiers sat in back, legs hanging over the sides of the rear bed, guns poking the air

, and as usual, Poussy got in up front, and Pouce sat in back. The man was around forty; he had a shadow of beard on his

and one commanded, " Get in the car. " So I sat in back and listened to the last two innings of the game with two of Boston's

out, hollered and turned the window up again. Ike and Bobby sat in back watching them, as still as country rabbits, waiting, and pretty soon the

as if he were on wheels. # In Albert's car Louise sat in back on the slick tan upholstery, while Charlotte rode up front, one hand balanced

his hand and got his things and went to the car. I sat in back and watched Ellison. He saw Invisible Man at once but did not say anything

Welcome to Oregon!!! " # In the car, Birnbaum sat in back with the boy, who was small for his age, Birnbaum noted, and

the needle. Most students drooled sleepily onto desk tops, but I sat in back alone, drawing to the music, trying to replicate the twittering pinions of the

reading the Herald, drink-g Coke, and eating potato chips. Radford sat in back of the sk they'd put in the front hall. His large, pasty

but I felt something else, two paper clips. The boy who sat in back of me laughed softly, " Well, maybe it's Australia? " I

went to the white church, Our Lady of the Gulf. We sat in back, I remember, squeezed together in a half pew. I remember going to

front seat of Chaz's car, an old Plymouth Duster. Monty sat in back. " Seventy-five? " I asked. " Very good, " Chaz answered

into the car to go to the airport around four o'clock. Benny sat in back with the giant pot on his lap. He winced whenever we went over a

in a parade sponsored by the Wheaton Merchants Association. My mother had sat in back, on the folded convertible top, with Davis and me on either side of

several times as we crossed the parking lot to my Toyota. She sat in back, Phillip sat in front beside me. I turned the key: no ignition

GPY · Answer

Sorry ... it occurred to me too just a moment ago. "He sat in back" may be acceptable in AmE. It is incorrect in BrE.

Pructus · Answer

I see... I see...
Thanks a lot, GPY!!

"back" is so difficult...

Also I found in COCA.

I'll head on back.

Let's head on back down to Cuba with Jane.

************

It doesn't have to be "head back on"?

GPY · Answer

pructusIt doesn't have to be "head back on"?

No, "head on back" is correct.

Pructus · Answer

I see... I see....
Thanks so much, GPY!!

CalifJim · Answer

GPY"He sat in back" may be acceptable in AmE.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

pructus2. He sat back in. ... means "He sat in again"?

No. This one can't stand alone, as far as I can imagine. I don't quite see what scenario leads to saying this. Maybe when there are too many people to play, say, a card game, one person can sit in (and play) sometimes, and then sit out (and not play), and then he can "sit back in", but it sounds a bit forced to my ear.

However, He sat back in his chair will work. (He relaxed and let his back rest against the back of the chair.)

CJ

GPY · Answer

CalifJimNo. This one can't stand alone, as far as I can imagine. I don't quite see what scenario leads to saying this. Maybe when there are too many people to play, say, a card game, one person can sit in (and play) sometimes, and then sit out (and not play), and then he can "sit back in", but it sounds a bit forced to my ear.

E.g. "He was hanging out of the car door, but quickly sat back in when a large truck approached".

CalifJim · Answer

GPYbut quickly sat back in

OK. I suppose that's borderline reasonable; I still can't imagine myself saying it.

But don't ask me exactly what I would say. "pulled back in"? "jumped back in"?

CJ

Sat in back

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