Prepositions

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yogi2005

#101792 Sat, 21 May 05 08:22 PM

Hello,

I'm confused with some prepositions and google doesn't help so I would be grateful if someone could help me.

Please help me with the below, i'm interested in prepositions in bolid, which are possible? are there more than one possibility? if so, than which are more common?

1. the Christmas tree is on/in/at Trafalgar Square.
2. it stands on/in the apex of a rectangle.
3. try the booth at/in/on Trafalgar Square
4. throw it to/on the roof
5. you see sth in the tree but apples are on the tree?
6 10 o'clock on/in my watch

thank you

yogi2005

Joined on Thu, Mar 31 2005

Full Member (197)

Prepositions

paco2004

#101809 Sat, 21 May 05 11:43 PM

I would go like this way;
1. There is a Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
2. It stands at a vertex of the rectangle.
3. I have a booth in Trafalgar Square
4. I threw it to the roof
5. You can see a squirrel in this tree and some apples on that tree.
6 Now it's 10 o'clock by my watch

paco

paco2004

Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004

Senior Member (4,095)

In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English.

CalifJim

#101843 Sun, 22 May 05 05:21 AM

1. (There's a) Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
2. It stands at the vertex of a rectangle.
3. Try the booth in Trafalgar Square
4. Throw it [on / onto] the roof
5. You see sth in the tree but apples are on the tree? Yes.
6 10 o'clock [by / according to] my watch

I'm not sure about BrE for 1 and 3. Follow the local custom there.

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (16,572)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

paco2004

#101893 Sun, 22 May 05 12:05 PM

Huurm...I still am not good at choice of prepositions. I made a mistake in #4.

paco

paco2004

Prepositions

yogi2005

#102091 Mon, 23 May 05 11:38 AM

thanks for help

yogi2005

nona the brit

#102117 Mon, 23 May 05 12:54 PM

3. Could be in or at depending on context.

I want to buy some theatre tickets. I will go to the booth in Trafalgar Square.

I went to the booth at Leicester Square, they had sold out, but they said 'you could try our other booth in/at Trafalgar Square.

nona the brit

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004

England

Veteran Member (11,302)

The name says it all.

Skater

#102184 Mon, 23 May 05 04:33 PM

You can throw something to the roof or onto the roof, but if you throw it on the roof, it means you're standing on the roof when you throw it. (Likewise, jumping into the shower is often a good idea; jumping in the shower can be dangerous -- and looks silly.)

Skater

Skater

Joined on Thu, Mar 31 2005

New Member (18)

CalifJim

#102629 Wed, 25 May 05 07:29 AM

Au contraire! "on" is frequently used to mean "onto"; "in" is frequently used to mean "into" (even though the ambiguity you mention may exist in specific contexts). In fact "on" and "in" may actually be more frequently used than their equivalents "onto" and "into".

He threw the postcard on/onto the table.
They set the dishes on/?onto the table.
The cat jumped on/onto/upon/up onto the table.
He tacked the map on/?onto the wall.

He jumped in/into the shower.
He walked in/into the kitchen.

The reason is that we often add more explanatory words to indicate the "in place" meaning:

He jumped up and down in the shower.
He walked around in the kitchen.

Without these modifiers, the usual interpretation of "in" or "on" with a verb of motion is the idea of motion "*to in" something or "*to on" something.

CJ

CalifJim

Verbs

paco2004

#102630 Wed, 25 May 05 07:48 AM

Hello CJ

Frankly speaking, I don't think "throw a thing to the roof" is completely incorrect. If one says "He threw a stone on/onto the roof", I think the sentence would inevitably connote the stone reached the roof. If one wants to avoid such an implication, I think, they might say "He threw (up) a stone to the roof".

paco

paco2004