In / on the summer vacation

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Anonymous  #200481  Fri, 24 Feb 06 10:53 AM
Which one is correct?

They made some friends in / on summer vacation.
  
CalifJim  #200548  Fri, 24 Feb 06 04:47 PM
"on".

"on" always goes with "vacation".

  
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Ruslana  #200602  Fri, 24 Feb 06 08:48 PM

Hello,

Jim, would "during" be correct there? Or only "on", as you've said?

  
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CalifJim  #200650  Sat, 25 Feb 06 02:00 AM
"during" is possible, but less common.
My previous comment was meant to refer to the choice between "in" and "on" -- it's always "on" when you have the choice between "in" and "on" and the object of the preposition is "vacation".

CJ

  
Anonymous  #200676  Sat, 25 Feb 06 05:54 AM

how about "the" in  front of "summer vacation? Is that possible and acceptable?

I made some friends during/on the summer vacation

  
Ruslana  #200812  Sat, 25 Feb 06 05:29 PM

Thanks, Jim! Smile [:)]

  
CalifJim  #200813  Sat, 25 Feb 06 05:31 PM
on the summer vacation is impossible in that isolated sentence!

You would need a special reason to change it.  For example, if you had already spoken about two vacations - a winter vacation and a summer vacation - you might say:

I was very lonely on the winter vacation, but I made some friends on the summer vacation.

This is a rather unusual usage, however.  That is, it's not often that such a situation would occur, giving rise to the need for "the" within the idiom "on vacation".

CJ

  
Teo  #296968  Fri, 24 Nov 06 03:01 AM

 CalifJim wrote:
"during" is possible, but less common.
My previous comment was meant to refer to the choice between "in" and "on" -- it's always "on" when you have the choice between "in" and "on" and the object of the preposition is "vacation".

I took a trip to Japan ___ winter vacation. (A) at (B) on (C) during (D) about

The answer is C. But is B also correct?

No. You can 'go on vacation' but you cannot '*take a trip on vacation'.

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Thank you very much for your reply.
CalifJim  #296981  Fri, 24 Nov 06 04:57 AM
You can 'go on vacation' but you cannot '*take a trip on vacation'.


I find this absolutely correct. Yes [Y]

CJ

  
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