at/on

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Yankee

#404078 Mon, 13 Aug 07 05:35 PM

I think that's a good analysis, GL2. And I agree with MM's point that a native-speaker's choice of 'at' or 'on' in this particular sentence is likely to be an unconscious one (i.e. the meanings would be basically identical, but the choice of preposition will reflect a slight difference in perspective).

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,156)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Prepositions

Goodman

#404083 Mon, 13 Aug 07 05:48 PM

Hi GL2,

I agree that the difference is slight. Big Smile [:D] Nonetheless, I believe there is one.

The Washington State Convention and Trade Center is conveniently located in downtown Seattle with our main entrance on the corner of 7th and Pike Streets. ...

The above sentence tells me the entrance is on the 7^th street side.

The Washington State Convention and Trade Center is conveniently located in downtown Seattle with our main entrance at the corner of 7th and Pike Streets. ...

This tells me that it could be on either 7^th or Pike street.

Any one with different interpretation ?

Goodman

Joined on Mon, Nov 7 2005

Calif. USA

Senior Member (3,173)

The name says it all!

Yankee

#404092 Mon, 13 Aug 07 06:21 PM

Sorry, Goodman, but I wouldn't understand any difference in your sentence. I would understand both versions this way:

Yankee

Goodman

#404096 Mon, 13 Aug 07 06:34 PM

Yankee wrote:

Sorry, Goodman, but I wouldn't understand any difference in your sentence. I would understand both this way:

Hi Yank,

I am not sure what you meant by that diagram. Are my sentences not clear ? There are buildings with the entrance exactly how you depicted with one main entrance diagonally facing the corner and some have entrance on either side facing 2 different streets.

As for “on the corner of 7^th and Pike”, I would interpret it as “on 7^th street side but at the corner of Pike”. May you call me “splitting hair” But that’s how I see it.

Goodman

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GL2

#404099 Mon, 13 Aug 07 06:48 PM

Hi Goodman,

I'm glad you agree there is a very slight distinction, but I'm afraid your two sample sentences don't highlight it for me. In either case, I would expect to find the entrance on (at?) Wink [;)] the same corner (there can be no doubt which corner it is in either case). Examples that I think highlight the distinction are ones that allow more latitude in the precise location referred to (such as the scene of an accident), thus creating some possible ambiguity in the mind of the listener in the case of 'at.' There can be no ambiguity with a building, even though the entrance could be on one of two different streets. I just don't think people are as discriminating in their choice of prepositions when refering to fixed structures like that. Consider these samples:

"The police found the body at the staircase." (It could be at the top of the staircase, on the staircase or at the base of the staircase.)

"The police found the body on the staircase." (No ambiguity at all.)

GL2

Joined on Sun, Aug 12 2007

Seattle, WA, USA

Junior Member (69)

Prepositions, Sample

Anonymous

#404120 Mon, 13 Aug 07 07:20 PM

Hi GL2,

Again I agree with you that most people don't really care or pay that much attention on the distinction between "at" and "on". Like I said, maybe I am spitting hair. This is not the first time the question of "corner" is raised at the forum with respect to "at", "on", "in" and "by". With each prep, the distinction to me is really how precisely we want to pinpoint the location of something. Perhaps, it's related to the job I do which is writing technical specs and training material which requires precise wording. As long as I can make that distinction, I really have no problem receiving different opinions, and I appreciate your comments. Big Smile [:D]

Anonymous

Taka

#404159 Mon, 13 Aug 07 08:21 PM

Anonymous wrote:
With each prep, the distinction to me is really how precisely we want to pinpoint the location of something.

Yes, that's what I thought.

And in terms of preciseness, I thought 'at' implied more precision than 'on' just because, as Mister Micawber says, 'at' is, as usual, the point reference whereas 'on' refers to a two-dimensional location.

Taka

Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004

Japan

Senior Member (2,265)

MrPedantic

#404204 Mon, 13 Aug 07 11:25 PM

In BrE, I think, I would expect this difference:

1. Turn left at the next corner and then go straight on for 50 yards.

2. They've turned the fish & chip shop on the corner into an off-licence.

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004

Veteran Member (12,047)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

Yankee

#404847 Wed, 15 Aug 07 09:36 AM

Goodman wrote:

The Washington State Convention and Trade Center is conveniently located in downtown Seattle with our main entrance on the corner of 7th and Pike Streets. ...

The above sentence tells me the entrance is on the 7^th street side.
But I don't get that much detail from your sentence at all.

Hi Goodman,
As I said, in both versions of your sentence, the location of the entrance sounds the same to me:
the corner is the location of the entrance.

This is possibly what I would say to indicate the location the way you wanted to indicate it above:

The Washington State Convention and Trade Center is conveniently located in downtown Seattle with our main entrance on 7th Street at the corner of Pike.

Yankee

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