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ESL forum >
Ask for help > prepositions and articles..................
prepositions and articles..................
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pauguzman
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prepositions and articles..................
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Hi everyone!!!! I have a question about prepositions and articles which one is correct?
What are you going to do IN THE HOLIDAYS? ON HOLIDAYS?
Thanks in advance- have a nice day, Paula |
23 Nov 2009
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juliag
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Hi
What are you going to do in the holidays? or
What are you going to do during the holidays? or
What are you going to do over the holidays?
Hope it helps.
Bye, Julia |
23 Nov 2009
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Zora
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To me "in the holidays" is incorrect...
What are you doing during the holidays? - yes
What are you doing over the holidays? - yes
What are you doing these holidays? - without a preposition, yes
Cheers,
Linda
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23 Nov 2009
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Loree83
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With holidays I usually use on or during. I agree with Zora, IN is uncorrect.
Lorena |
23 Nov 2009
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alien boy
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As an Australian English speaker I �d say
�What are you going to do- �in the holidays �; �during the holidays �; �over the holidays �; �this holiday/these holidays �.
It �s sort of like saying �What are you going to do in December? �
SO, I �d have to disagree with Zora & Lorena about it being incorrect.
�What are you going to do on holidays? � needs some further information to specify which holidays are meant, otherwise it implies �What are you going to do on every holiday/all of the holidays? �
If it �s just �What are you doing on holiday/holidays? � - then it is a question asking why you are on holiday, not what you are doing or planning to do during/in your holiday break.
Regards,
AB
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23 Nov 2009
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Zora
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If you Google the sentence "what are you doing in the holidays?" - It comes back in black as "what are you doing for the holidays?" with 642,000, 000 entries... SO while it might be said in Australia, I don �t think it is all that common elsewhere - or is it that correct - in standard English...I dunno but I would mark it wrong. Sorry AB.
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23 Nov 2009
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pauguzman
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Thanks a looot for your answers!! I googled both sentences, and both appeared as correct ..that �s why my question. So as to avoid a mistake I think I will write " what are you going to do these holidays?" .....no prepositions, no problem=P Thanks a lot =), Paula |
23 Nov 2009
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alien boy
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From Swann �s �Practical English Usage � (3rd ed)
82 at, on and in: time
at + clock time
in + part of day
on + particular day
at + weekend, public holiday
in + longer period
5 longer periods: in
It happened in the week after Christmas.
I was born in March.
Our house was built in the 15th century.
Kent is beautiful in spring.
He died in 1616.
We use both during and in to say that something happens inside a particular period of time.
We �ll be on holiday during/in August. I woke up during/in the night.
We use during to stress that we are talking about the whole of the period.
The shop �s closed during the whole of August. (NOT ... in the whole of August)
And we use during when we are talking about an event, activity or experience (not a period of time).
He had some strange experiences during his military service. (NOT ... -in-his military service.)
I �ll try to phone you during the meeting. (NOT ... in the meeting.)
I met them during my stay in China.
Cheers,
AB
p.s. So it depends on which sense you�re talking about the holiday(s) - as a period of time (but not stressing the whole time) or as an event as to whether �during� is more correct than �in�... at least according to Michael Swann!
Goodnight!
N.B. With the two options provided by Paula, the only possible (formally correct) option would be...
�What are you going to do in the holidays?� & not �What are you going to do on holidays?� (no definite article)
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23 Nov 2009
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