In or on?

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > In or on?

In or on?

Fallen Angel

In or on?

Hi there everybody!

Here I am asking for your help once again. This time I have a question regarding the use of prepositions. Well, when we are talking about child labour, do we say that street workers are children that work on the street or in the street? Which preposition is correct?

Thanks in advance!

Have a great Sunday!

Cristina

4 Mar 2012

ascincoquinas

Hi Cristina!

Here an example from BBC learning:

�There were crowds of people on the streets. �
�In the street where I live there are speed bumps every fifty yards. �

In the first example, we imagine someone surveying the crowds from a distance and in the second example the perspective is from inside the street.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv61.shtml

hope this helps. Have a good Sunday!

4 Mar 2012

I would say that both can be used depending on the situation.
I would say that the children work in the streets being within the boundaries of the road and on the street refers the boundaries alongside the road or on the surface.
The children work in the streets of New York.
The children are working on the second street to the left.
Car washing is not allowed on the Streets of New York.
The workers are fixing the potholes on the streets.
Dancing in the streets.

I would be very careful in using working the streets as it could imply to prostitution.

4 Mar 2012

korova-daisy

Both variants are possible. But the main difference is between their use in British English (in the street) and American English (on the street)

4 Mar 2012

What �s a �street worker? � I �ve heard of �street walker � and that �s a prostitute. As for �in � or �on � - I would say � the kids are playing in the street. �

4 Mar 2012