Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Ask for help > IN or ON?    

IN or ON?





libertybelle
United States

No doubt - a cat can get stuck in a tree, but never on a tree.
Apples grow on trees,
Leaves grow on trees.
There is a big different between being inside a tree (in the truck of a tree)
and being in a tree.
L

13 Feb 2009     



Jayho
Australia

G �day from a native Aussie speaker
 
Steven: "Tom, where is the cat?" 
 
Tom:       "He �s in the tree."  (position inside a large area i.e the entire tree)
 
Steven:    "Where?  I can �t see him."
 
Tom:        "He �s on that big branch." (position on something i.e. the branch)
 
The cat is on the tree means that he is sitting right on top of the tree like Zora said (Zora, I laughed at your reference to the Bonsai!)

13 Feb 2009     



Zora
Canada

LOL - Jayho... I had an inspired moment - since you see the cat below (my own little sweetheart and brat!) - well, see the planter she �s hiding in, she used to get ON the shrub behind her!! Poor plant, we thought she �s going to crush it... LOL

 

14 Feb 2009     



manuelanunes3
Portugal

Hi
 
I have a question:
Can we say "up the tree"?
 
I believe we can say like this too, but my doubt is: does that mean on the very top of the tree?

14 Feb 2009     



MissMelissa12
Peru

I am scared of cats... maybe that is why I confused the sentence jejep. You are all right, its better and correct to say IN THE TREE.

 

14 Feb 2009     



Zora
Canada

Yes, we can say up a tree... and it just means it �s "up in " the tree. It can be high or low... usually, knowing how cats are though, it is up high and crying for you to come and get it!! LOL


14 Feb 2009     



Jayho
Australia

Ha ha - there are lots of good questions here.
 
Yes Zora, my previous cat used to sit on the shrubs in pots too - they do like to sit on things don �t they, the higher the better.
 
And yes, they do go up trees, anywhere within the tree that is out of reach of a human being.
 
Me:         "Darling where has the cat disppeared to?  He was here just a moment ago and we need to take him to the vet for his checkup" 
 
Tom:       "He�s just run up the tree." (present perfect simple - just happened - just as it always does the moment you get the cat cage out!)
 
Me:          &*%$#!  [meaning now we �ll never get him down!]
 
Cheers
 
Jayho
 
 

14 Feb 2009     



Zora
Canada

Or that just means...

You have to climb up the tree, move in between the branches, go out on a limb and try to grab onto the cat which has suddenly sprouted ten feet and is clawing the crap out of you...

Consequently, you lose your balance and fall out of the tree, hurting yourself while the cat runs down the tree as if there was no problem in the first place and then stares at you laying there on the ground, moaning in pain,  thinking "What �s your problem?"

LOL

14 Feb 2009     



Jayho
Australia

Very funny Zora - yet so true!  You had me in stitches rolling around on the floor.  Meanwhile my cat is just lying on the floor near me, on her back with all four paws up in the air, looking at me with that particular look of what �s going on with her now?!  It �s time for my dinner and here she is on the internet again! 
 
Aaah - the joy of cats!

14 Feb 2009     

< Previous   1    2    3