Vincent Teo  +  561019 Mon, 01 Sep 08 12:53 PM Can I say, The butterfly rested on / at / in the flower. The butterfly is on / at / in the flower. The butterfly is sucking the flower. The butterfly is staying on the flower. Vincent Teo Joined on Sat, Mar 31 2007 Veteran Member 5,660

	Mister Micawber  +  561024 Mon, 01 Sep 08 12:57 PM . The butterfly rested on  the flower. The butterfly is on the flower. The butterfly is sipping  the flower's nectar. The butterfly is resting on the flower. Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,791 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

	Vincent Teo  +  561039 Mon, 01 Sep 08 01:41 PM Thanks. Can I say, The butterfly is standing on the flower. P/s: "butterfly", we use "is sipping"        "bee", we use "is sucking"? Vincent Teo

	Mister Micawber  +  561051 Mon, 01 Sep 08 01:58 PM . You continue to look for rules.  I like sipping better for butterflies because it is daintier. Butterflies have developed a long proboscis that can probe the flower for nectar. It is like a flexible straw that is kept coiled next to the body in flight but is extended to sip the sweet fluid when the butterfly finds a suitable flower head. In different contexts you could use sip, suck, probe, nectar (v), retrieve, etc. Mister Micawber

	Vincent Teo  +  561066 Mon, 01 Sep 08 02:27 PM That means it is also correct if I say "The butterfly is sucking the nectar." Right? Just depends on the text. Vincent Teo

	Mister Micawber  +  561245 Mon, 01 Sep 08 10:42 PM . Yes. . Mister Micawber

	A Cornish Pasty  +  561265 Mon, 01 Sep 08 11:17 PM Vincent Teo “How about this? The butterfly is standing on the flower. ” Yes that's fine, although we don't really think of butterflies standing. I would be more likely to say "the butterfly is lying on the flower", or even better would be just "the butterfly is on the flower". It's location on the flower is implied as the petals, because it can't really be anywhere else. A Cornish Pasty Joined on Tue, Dec 18 2007 Full Member 158 British English

	Mister Micawber  +  561279 Mon, 01 Sep 08 11:59 PM . Butterflies do not 'lie' where I come from, unless they are dead; it may be otherwise in Cornwall. Again, Vincent, there are many choices-- your job inacquiring English is to learn the natural ones.  If we are speaking of a butterfly immobile upon a flower head, then I myself would perhaps choose 'The butterfly is perched on the flower'. Mister Micawber