ESL Basic English Grammar Questions and Help

Re: Turn or switch?

Sonny.blog.cz — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 22:46:46 GMT

Thank you all for your advices. You really helped me.

Re: Turn or switch?

CalifJim — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 02:56:40 GMT

Use "turn on" and "turn off" in most cases, and you'll almost always be right.

turn on/off the light(s), water, electricity, gas, TV, television, radio, news.
Yes, you can even turn on the news (if it's on TV or radio).
(shut off can substitute for turn off.)

Where I live, it is less usual to say switch on/off a light, TV, etc.

change the channel (or switch the channel)

CJ

Re: Turn or switch?

Silversamand — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:31:11 GMT

when you want to change tv channel or change topic and go from one to another topic you should use Switch

in other situations Turn is correct

Re: Turn or switch?

Matress — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 14:29:18 GMT

turn (SWITCH)
verb [always + adv/prep]
to use a control to switch (a piece of equipment) on or off, or to adjust it to change the amount of what it is producing
Please turn off/out the lights when you leave.
Who turned my computer on/off?
Turn the TV down (= make the sound quieter) -- it's too loud.
Turn up the volume -- I can't hear what they're saying.

switch on/off obj, switch obj on/off

phrasal verb [M]
to start or stop (a device powered by electricity)
She switched the light off.
Switch on the video camera, please.

From Cambridge Dictionaries - American English

Re: Turn or switch?

pieanne — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:04:20 GMT

Hi!

I think it has to do with the movement; here is a switch: http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/~JRS47/switch.jpg. You switch "on" & "off" with a single "click".

When you turn something "on" or "off", it's a clockwise or counter clockwise movement, like in a dial.

"Turning someone on" also has a particular meaning, it's "arousing someone, sexually".

Turn or switch?

Sonny.blog.cz — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 11:04:31 GMT

When should I use verb to turn and when verb to switch?

Verbs to turn and to switch have similar meaning and I do not know if it is correct to use these verbs to talk about switching on/turning on for example lights, water, radio, TV.

Can you tell me more about this problem? Where is the truth about these confusing verbs?