英文題一問

cyhp

有隻鴨仔在池塘上，請問應該是
1.It is in the pond
2.It is on the pond
邊個

麟媽媽

1.

leschelems

Without putting your sentences in context, both are correct.  (1) implies it's below water surface while (2) implies it's at water surface.  So it depends on where the duck is.

cyhp

隻鴨係

leschelems

Interesting.  I just asked another native English speaker.  She said it must be "in the pond".  Her argument is that a duck can only fly on the pond.  For swimming, it must be "in the pond".

Rham

[quote]
cyhp 寫道:
有隻鴨仔在池塘上，請問應該是
1.It is in the pond
2.It is on the pond
邊個

agoodfox

[quote]
cyhp 寫道:
有隻鴨仔在池塘上，請問應該是
1.It is in the pond
2.It is on the pond
邊個

Rham

A pond is sometimes 2D and sometimes 3D depending on what you want to say.

It is common to say "the moon's reflection in the pond" (the one saying this is thinking the pond as a 2D area).  But it is also common to say reflection on the pond.

"In a pond" does not necessarily means it is immersed in the water.  In can mean it is immersed in the water (3D) or it can mean it is inside the area (2D).  Of course, if something is immersed in the water, we have to say "in the pond".  A pond is very often referred to as 2D when you are looking at the pond over a distance.

在水中央有儷影一雙彷似畫在湖上....

agoodfox

Sorry, I think I should have said "part of its body's immersed in the water" to avoid misunderstanding. I didn't mean the whole duck was.

cyhp

Thanks!

Teresa

Very interesting question indeed!!!

Last week, in our job training course, we ask the same question: in Hong Kong Island vs on Hong Kong Island.  (Same situation as "in"/"on" the pond!)

According to our teacher, a native professor teaching language in PolyU who got more than 20 yrs lang teaching experience, his explanation is: depends on what you want to emphasis!

If you want to emphasis smaller area, surface, you may use on.

If you want to emphasis larger area, with dimensions, you may use in.

So, if you talk about an island symbolised by a coconut tree on a small protruded land surrounded by sea, better  use on;  if you are talking about an island like Hong Kong island where the area is big enough for many people to move around, better use in.

Hence, both in and on are possible!

Rham

Teresa 寫道:
Very interesting question indeed!!!

Last week, in our job training course, we ask the same question: in Hong Kong Island vs on Hong Kong Island.  (Same situation as "in"/"on" the pond!)

According to our teacher, a native professor teaching language in PolyU who got more than 20 yrs lang teaching experience, his explanation is: depends on what you want to emphasis!

If you want to emphasis smaller area, surface, you may use on.

If you want to emphasis larger area, with dimensions, you may use in.

So, if you talk about an island symbolised by a coconut tree on a small protruded land surrounded by sea, better  use on;  if you are talking about an island like Hong Kong island where the area is big enough for many people to move around, better use in.

Hence, both in and on are possible!

What a coincidence.  A friend of mine asked me exactly the same question, which was from his son's test paper.  His son is, I think, in P2.  I gave him exactly the same answer!

Besides, there are also other possibilities.  E.g. "an animal living on the pond" could also mean the animal is depending on the pond for its survival because "living on" means "depending on".

Just did a search on Google, it seems that some people use "ducks in the pond" while some others use "ducks on the pond".  It seems there is no consensus.

eviepa

Teresa 寫道:
If you want to emphasis smaller area, surface, you may use on.

If you want to emphasis larger area, with dimensions, you may use in.

So, if you talk about an island symbolised by a coconut tree on a small protruded land surrounded by sea, better  use on;  if you are talking about an island like Hong Kong island where the area is big enough for many people to move around, better use in.

Hence, both in and on are possible!

Teresa,

I get a little confuse.  In the newspaper, "on the Mainland" often appears.  It doesn't seem to refer to a small piece of land.

Eviepa

Teresa

eviepa 寫道:
[quote]
Teresa 寫道:
If you want to emphasis smaller area, surface, you may use on.

If you want to emphasis larger area, with dimensions, you may use in.

So, if you talk about an island symbolised by a coconut tree on a small protruded land surrounded by sea, better  use on;  if you are talking about an island like Hong Kong island where the area is big enough for many people to move around, better use in.

Hence, both in and on are possible!

Teresa,

I get a little confuse.  In the newspaper, "on the Mainland" often appears.  It doesn't seem to refer to a small piece of land.

Eviepa[/quote]


As I've said, it all depends on how you view the piece of land.  As taught by our professor teacher, he taught us to do some searching in google to see how frequent a phrase/word is used.

This is the result I searched re: In/On the Mainland:

約有801,000項符合"in the Mainland" 的查詢結果  
vs
約有1,180,000項符合"on the Mainland" 的查詢結果

So, you see! Seems that "on the Mainland" is used more frequently than "in the Mainland".  This is how people used this preposition.  In fact, both usage are correct.  The rule I mentioned is just a general rule!

leschelems

Asked an english teacher.  She reckoned that we were making too complicated a deal out of this question.  Pedagogical grammar is different from real life usage is that grammar of wider acceptance and safer application is favored, esp for the sake of facilitating  children's learning.  In this case, she can't claim wider acceptance but she has no doubt in seeing a safer application of "in the pond" by a junior primary pupil.

eviepa

Teresa 寫道:

So, you see! Seems that "on the Mainland" is used more frequently than "in the Mainland".  This is how people used this preposition.  In fact, both usage are correct.  The rule I mentioned is just a general rule!

Thank you.

Rham

leschelems 寫道:
Asked an english teacher.  She reckoned that we were making too complicated a deal out of this question.  Pedagogical grammar is different from real life usage is that grammar of wider acceptance and safer application is favored, esp for the sake of facilitating  children's learning.  In this case, she can't claim wider acceptance but she has no doubt in seeing a safer application of "in the pond" by a junior primary pupil.

Yes, you are absolutely right.  I'd certainly teach my son to use "in the pond" for the tests  -- well, in fact I don't need to.  I just asked him (K3) what he would use and he answered "in the pond" immediately.  When I told him some other people use "on the pond", he was puzzled and asked me why.

We all know that knowing the expected model answer is different from real understanding of the language.  Prescriptive grammar is just the "right" answer taught in the school.

Perhaps, I was over-analysing the question a bit and making it too complicated.  On second thought, I tend to agree with agoodfox that "in the pond" comes from the fact that the ducks are partially immersed in the water.

cyhp

好多謝咁多位咁努力為我求證,其實係女兒的英文功課,係一幅圖畫,一隻鴨在池塘中間,本來我都係答in的,但係我女個美藉老師話係on,咁冇理由唔信佢

agoodfox

[quote]
cyhp 寫道:

因為我成日都聽倒