Is “the fire consumed everything on its way” correct?Unconventional usage of “way”Writing two...
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Is “the fire consumed everything on its way” correct?
Unconventional usage of “way”Writing two sentences in a short wayI thought you were already goneI love how you love meWhen you are going to know indirectly / politely the name of the person you're meeting or talking to“The fact of its being” Grammarwhat are the subjects of these sentences?Is it grammatically correct to say “the baby can't eat himself” meaning that the baby can't eat without help?How should I use the word, “mean” in a question when regarding about the past?Meaning of “manually” in “manually detect copyright infringement”
I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?
grammar idiomatic-language
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
add a comment |
I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?
grammar idiomatic-language
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
add a comment |
I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?
grammar idiomatic-language
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?
grammar idiomatic-language
grammar idiomatic-language
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
asked 58 mins ago
repomonsterrepomonster
68113
68113
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.
If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.
"In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.
You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.
Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:
On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.
Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.
The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.
"Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.
I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
1
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
1
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
add a comment |
They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.
In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.
'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.
On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.
Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.
A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen.
It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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active
oldest
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.
If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.
"In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.
You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.
Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:
On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.
Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.
The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.
"Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.
I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
1
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
1
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
add a comment |
They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.
If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.
"In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.
You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.
Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:
On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.
Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.
The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.
"Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.
I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
1
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
1
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
add a comment |
They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.
If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.
"In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.
You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.
Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:
On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.
Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.
The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.
"Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.
I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.
If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.
"In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.
You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.
Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:
On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.
Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.
The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.
"Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.
I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
edited 31 mins ago
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
answered 36 mins ago
AndrewAndrew
68.7k677152
68.7k677152
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
1
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
1
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
add a comment |
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
1
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
1
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?
– repomonster
34 mins ago
1
1
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
@repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."
– Andrew
26 mins ago
1
1
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
@repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"
– Andrew
25 mins ago
add a comment |
They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.
In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.
'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.
On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.
Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.
A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen.
It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
add a comment |
They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.
In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.
'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.
On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.
Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.
A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen.
It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
add a comment |
They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.
In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.
'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.
On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.
Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.
A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen.
It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.
In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.
'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.
On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.
Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.
A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen.
It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
edited 2 mins ago
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
answered 31 mins ago
ShuleShule
23016
23016
add a comment |
add a comment |
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