#3minGrammar
Why are you ON a bus 🚌 or train 🚂 but IN a car 🚗?
The general rule: For vehicles, anything considered to have a large floor space is ON and a small floor space is IN.
- Large means you CAN OR MUST WALK there (you walk to your seat, to the toilet, etc.).
- Small means YOU CAN’T COMFORTABLY WALK there (you either just stand or sit).
The reason: In English we distinguish between platforms and containers.
For walled vehicles, large floor spaces = platforms, small floors = containers.
- Therefore, it's in a car, in a small boat, in a helicopter, in a rocket, in a hot air balloon, in a small plane, in a lift.
- But we say on a train, on a ship, on the space shuttle, on a passenger plane, etc.
When the vehicle has no walls (i.e. it is not an enclosure) it's a platform so we say on, too. Therefore, it's on a skateboard, on ice skates (platforms for your feet). On a horse, on a bike (platforms for your bottom).
Why are you ON a bus 🚌 or train 🚂 but IN a car 🚗?
The general rule: For vehicles, anything considered to have a large floor space is ON and a small floor space is IN.
- Large means you CAN OR MUST WALK there (you walk to your seat, to the toilet, etc.).
- Small means YOU CAN’T COMFORTABLY WALK there (you either just stand or sit).
The reason: In English we distinguish between platforms and containers.
For walled vehicles, large floor spaces = platforms, small floors = containers.
- Therefore, it's in a car, in a small boat, in a helicopter, in a rocket, in a hot air balloon, in a small plane, in a lift.
- But we say on a train, on a ship, on the space shuttle, on a passenger plane, etc.
When the vehicle has no walls (i.e. it is not an enclosure) it's a platform so we say on, too. Therefore, it's on a skateboard, on ice skates (platforms for your feet). On a horse, on a bike (platforms for your bottom).
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Could I call you back? I'm ___ a taxi right now - it's uncomfortable to talk.
Anonymous Quiz
14%
on
86%
in
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He is ___ the bus traveling to Florida now, I'm not sure when he'll be available.
Anonymous Quiz
33%
in
67%
on
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Would you be ok doing gigs like that?
Anonymous Poll
67%
Sure, why not, sometimes working for real people is worse
33%
No way, robots are taking over the world - I wouldn't feel ok contributing to that
WHAT SORT OF INJURY IS IN THE PICTURE ABOVE?
Anonymous Quiz
14%
Splinter
74%
Cat scratch
10%
Bruise
1%
Burn
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