"on" versus "for"
Anatoly Kurilin
in most cases the preposition used with the word "vacation", is ON, for
instance: "Many Americans go ON vacation to Bahamas Islands." But recently I
ran into the following sentence: "We go to the seashore FOR our vacation."
So, are ON and FOR interchangeable here or there is something special in the
sentence I've found.
Thanks in advance,
Anatoly K. Kurilin
meirm...@erols.com
Kurilin" <akur...@mtu-net.ru> posted:
>Hi,
>in most cases the preposition used with the word "vacation", is ON, for
>instance: "Many Americans go ON vacation to Bahamas Islands." But recently I
>ran into the following sentence: "We go to the seashore FOR our vacation."
>So, are ON and FOR interchangeable here or there is something special in the
>sentence I've found.
>
You captured the context well. More likely to use 'for' with 'our' or
some other possessive or other adjective (like, to the seashore for a
really great vacation.) Although sometimes people will use 'for' in
your first example. In that case it seems to me like it may come from
a foreign idiom. 'On' works equally well in both situations (until I
added that part in parentheses above. On won't mean the same thing
there.).
In general 'for' is used to imply purpose or use, but it really makes
no difference here (except for that example in parens where purpose is
important to the sentence.).
>Thanks in advance,
>Anatoly K. Kurilin
>
>
mei...@QQQerols.com If you email me, please let me know whether
remove the QQQ or not you are posting the same letter.
Daniel James
> in most cases the preposition used with the word "vacation", is ON, for
> instance: "Many Americans go ON vacation to Bahamas Islands." But recently I
> ran into the following sentence: "We go to the seashore FOR our vacation."
True. In England it's the same (though we'd probably say "holiday" rather than
"vacation").
> So, are ON and FOR interchangeable here or there is something special in the
> sentence I've found.
There's no real difference in meaning, there's a slight difference in
perspective.
Consider:
"Why did you go to the Bahamas?"
"I went for a holiday."
vs.
"What did you do in the Bahamas?"
"I was on holiday."
The first is a bit like:
"Why did you go to the butcher's?"
"I went for some lamb chops."
and the second is more like:
"What did you get from the butcher's?"
"I bought some lamb chops."
The information conveyed is the same, but the wording of the question suggests
a different phrasing of the answer. When there is no question either form of
answer can stand on its own as a statement.
Cheers,
Daniel.
Polar
They are sorta interchangeable in the example you have cited.
However, the FOR usage, illustrated in the below examples,
is a thing unto itself:
"She goes to one doctor FOR her arthritis and another FOR her
skin problems"
"The child attends after-school classes FOR his speech impediment".
"They had to hire an expensive contractor FOR earthquake refitting [of
their house]".
HTH
--
Polar
Graham W
"Anatoly Kurilin" <akur...@mtu-net.ru> wrote in message
news:98kedb$h1g$1...@gavrilo.mtu.ru...
> Hi,
> in most cases the preposition used with the word "vacation", is ON, for
> instance: "Many Americans go ON vacation to Bahamas Islands." But recently
I
> ran into the following sentence: "We go to the seashore FOR our vacation."
> So, are ON and FOR interchangeable here or there is something special in
the
> sentence I've found.
Contrast the following:
a. Where did you go for your vacation (holiday)?
b. Where did you go on your vacation (holiday)?
a. enquires the location you stayed at.
b. asks where (which places/attractions) you visited while there.
But your two examples are fine and have interchangeable 'for/on'.
HTH
--
Graham W D-I-Y Astro Projects, Web Graphics Tutorial
WIMBORNE http://www.graham-wood.freeserve.co.uk/
Dorset UK. Wessex Astronomical Society's Web pages
http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk