in / on / at

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Vincent Teo

#542987 Fri, 18 Jul 08 10:40 AM

Can I say,

Once, there was an owl who lived in / on / at an old tree. The tree was in / on /at the ground of a university.

Vincent Teo

Joined on Sat, Mar 31 2007

Senior Member (3,896)

Universities

Mister Micawber

#542991 Fri, 18 Jul 08 10:44 AM

.
Didn't we do these prepositions long ago, Vincent? Owls are generally hole-dwellers.

Once there was an owl who lived in an old tree. The tree was on the grounds of a university.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,223)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Prepositions, Universities

Vincent Teo

#542993 Fri, 18 Jul 08 10:48 AM

Thanks. Can you explain, why do we use "in the tree"? Why do we say "on the grounds", but not "in a ground" without "s"?

Vincent Teo

26TMNTJG2PG

#542994 Fri, 18 Jul 08 10:49 AM

Once, there was an owl ~~who~~ that lived ~~in /~~ on ~~/ at~~ an old tree. The tree was in ~~/ on /at~~ the ground of a university.

26TMNTJG2PG

Joined on Wed, Apr 23 2008

Full Member (266)

Universities

Mister Micawber

#543049 Fri, 18 Jul 08 01:48 PM

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Why do we use "in the tree"? -- Because the owl's home is inside the tree.

Why do we say "on the grounds", but not "in a ground" without "s"?-- 'Grounds' = 'a tract of land cleared for some special purposes (recreation or burial etc.); the enclosed land around a house or other building'. That is the definition of the word; there is no singular 'ground' with this meaning. 'On' because that is the usual collocation-- the tree is on the tract of land; 'in' is possible but not as frequent. 'In the ground' is completely wrong here; that phrase would be used of a potato.

'An owl that' is OK, too, but I prefer 'an owl who', since the owl's cry is 'Hoo!'
.

Mister Micawber