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Lucus Ong  +  828052 Mon, 20 Jul 09 11:56 PM
Thanks,

But My question is about the rule to choose at/in/on in these type of sentences like the three sentences you have provided.

Many thanks in advance
Lucus Ong
Joined on Wed, Apr 29 2009
Malaysia
Regular Member 635
Goodman  +  828053 Mon, 20 Jul 09 11:59 PM
Vctory Ong,

 

 

 

Preposition usages often times are not easily defined. In the corner, or at the corner are often questions asked. The only way we can become more comfortable using them is by referencing to qualified English materials and use them as much as possible.

 (2) Please wait me at/ in cinema.

For this question, you could either say "please wait for me at the lobby of the theater" or "in front of the theater".

 

Edited:

 It is idiomatic and that's how it is used. no reason or rule can redefine that.
Goodman
Joined on Mon, Nov 7 2005
Senior Member 3,816
The name says it all!
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Lucus Ong  +  828745 Tue, 21 Jul 09 11:44 AM
Hi!

Please let me confirm my understanding to your posts.
(1) If I ask my friends to wait me at cinema. It means I want him to wait me at the lobby of the cinema.
(2) If I ask my friends to wait me in cinema. It means I want him to wait me in front of the cinema.
Could anybody help me with it?

Many thanks in advance
Lucus Ong
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Mr Wordy  +  828761 Tue, 21 Jul 09 01:01 PM
Vctory Ong
“(1) If I ask my friends to wait me at cinema. It means I want him to wait me at the lobby of the cinema.
(2) If I ask my friends to wait me in cinema. It means I want him to wait me in front of the cinema.”
 

 

It should be "... wait for me in/at the cinema".

 

"in" means inside the building.

 

"at" may mean inside the building or immediately outside it.
Mr Wordy
Joined on Tue, May 27 2008
Senior Member 2,359
Native British English speaker
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Lucus Ong  +  828783 Tue, 21 Jul 09 01:32 PM
Thanks,

Does this rule always work?

For example,


(1)  Please wait for me at/in the shopping centre.

"in" means inside the building.

 "at" may mean inside the building or immediately outside it.


(2)  Please wait for me at the entrance of the university.

"in" is wrong.


(3)  There is a car in/at the farm.

"in" means inside the farm.

 "at" may mean inside the farm or immediately outside it.


(4)  There is a special plant in/at this mountain.

"in" means inside the farm.

 "at" may mean inside the farm or immediately outside it.

How about "on"?



Could anybody please correct  my ideas and understanding to all these posts.


Many thanks in advance
Lucus Ong
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Mr Wordy  +  828836 Tue, 21 Jul 09 02:50 PM
Vctory Ong
“Does this rule always work?”
 

 

I'd be very hesitant to say that any rule about prepositions always works. There are far too many idiomatic, non-rule-based issues involved.

 

Vctory Ong
“

(1)  Please wait for me at/in the shopping centre.

"in" means inside the building.

 "at" may mean inside the building or immediately outside it.

”

 

Yes.

 

Vctory Ong
“

(2)  Please wait for me at the entrance of the university.

"in" is wrong.

”

 

"in" is possible if "entrance" means "entrance hall/lobby", or some place just inside the front door, or under a big entrance arch (in other words, any place where you are spatially "inside" something).

 

Vctory Ong
“

(3)  There is a car in/at the farm.

"in" means inside the farm.

 "at" may mean inside the farm or immediately outside it.

”

 

"in" doesn't seem at all likely. "at" is OK (often one says "on the farm", but "on" doesn't seem quite right in this sentence).

 

Vctory Ong
“

(4)  There is a special plant in/at this mountain.

"in" means inside the farm.

 "at" may mean inside the farm or immediately outside it.

How about "on"?

”

You mixed up your questions here.

 

In this sentence, "in this mountain" is not right (that would mean buried inside the mountain). "at this mountain" is feasible I suppose, but normally I'd say "on this mountain".

 
Mr Wordy
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Goodman  +  829350 Wed, 22 Jul 09 03:51 AM
Mr Wordy
“There are far too many idiomatic, non-rule-based issues involved.”
 

 

My previous comments were the same as Mr. Wordy's.

"At" doesn't work for all places.
At the bank, concert, corner, counter are OK. At the farm - sounds a little off to me.

"At" has a different reference than "in". So it's not a matter of whether it's grammatically allowed, it's a matter of what the intended meaning is.

At the theater -to me is not clear. I already said "at the entrance of the theater..." is OK because it's precise. In the theater - meant exactly that, inside. So there are no clean rules to follow but exposure to English.
Goodman
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