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ESL forum > Ask for help > on page or at page?????    

on page or at page?????



TMMF
Portugal

on page or at page?????
 
Hi
Can you help me with this doubt that I came across with: I have learned all my life "open you books on page..." I remember my teachers saying that, I have always said that and now I heard that it is wrong and that the right way to say it is "open you books at page..." is it? A friend of mine that has lived for many years in Canada said that "open your books on page" doesn ´t sound wrong to him. I really would like to be sure about this.
Thanks in advance

17 Oct 2020      





maryse pey�
France

As far as I am concerned I have always heard and said "Open your book page ...". No preposition...
Let�s see what other colleagues will say ! 

17 Oct 2020     



yanogator
United States

Maybe this is a US thing, but we say "Open your books to page ...".
 
In other situations, you can say, "I see that your book is open at page ..." and "You will find the information on page ...".
 
@Maryse, a preposition is definitely needed. 
 
Bruce 

17 Oct 2020     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

We - in the UK - say:�Open your book at page 12�. Or �Turn/go to page 12.� You can find information on page 12.
 
Lynne  

17 Oct 2020     



maryse pey�
France

Thanks Bruce and Lynne ! One error less for me.
 
Is there a difference UK vs US for �to put the blame ON someone� ? 

18 Oct 2020     



TMMF
Portugal

Hi again

�turn to page � / go to page � / you can find information on page��  sounds correct to me and I say that

 But my doubt was about the sentence �open you books on / at page ��

I agree with Bruce, a preposition is definitely needed.

 While I was checking about it I found out that:

- �at page� is correct

- �to page� is correct

- �on page� is incorrect

I have never learned or used �at� but it doesn�t sound strange. �to� sounds really weird. I have learned and used �on� all my life. I was hoping that a native speaker would say that �at� is BrE / �to� is AmE and �on� can be used by both, but until now all that I could find is that �on� is incorret. As I have already said a friend of mine who has lived in Canada for many years told me that he says �open your books on page�� and he doesn�t consider it incorrect. In fact, all my colleagues, English teachers, at school, say "open your books on page..." and even the students� Books have that sentence. I just wanted to be sure about the right way to say it.

kiss & Hugs

 

18 Oct 2020     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

Yeah, looks like at is Br Eng and to Am Eng. I had never heard open your book to... Sounds weird.;-) 

18 Oct 2020     



TMMF
Portugal

And what about "on" - open your books on page ... - what do you think? is it wrong?

18 Oct 2020     



redcamarocruiser
United States

On sounds wrong to me.

18 Oct 2020     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

Wrong, because it�s just not said. 

19 Oct 2020     



yanogator
United States

Lynne, we Yanks can defend "to" with logic. "At" is for location, and "to" is for direction (motion). Since opening the book is motion, it needs "to". We win!   
 
Bruce 

19 Oct 2020