VOA慢速英语--On 和 Onto的区别

（单词翻译）

The Difference Between On and Onto

Welcome back to Ask a Teacher! Many English prepositions² can be close in meaning. So, sometimes knowing which to choose is hard. But, today’s program can help. Here is the question:

Question:

I would like to know when I should use in, into, on or onto. Thanks. -MOD

Answer:

That is a wonderful question! Today, I will explore just two of those words. In a future program, I can talk about the other two.

It is easy to confuse the word on with onto since, at times, they can replace each other.

The difference

The main difference is that onto is about movement from one place to another. The word on is not.

If you ever have trouble choosing, look at the verb³. Does it suggest movement? If it does, onto is usually the best choice. Verbs⁴ like drive, climb, step, walk, run and many others suggest movement.

Listen to an example:

The dog climbed onto the sofa.

This means⁵ that the dog was not on the sofa at first. He climbed there.

Now, listen to the difference:

The dog climbed on the sofa.

This suggests that the dog was already on the sofa. Maybe he was moving around on it. That is probably not what the speaker wanted to say.

Here is another example:

I walked onto the bridge and took a photo.

This means the person was not on the bridge at first. They walked there from some other place.

Now, listen to the difference:

I walked on the bridge and took a photo.

This suggests the person was already on the bridge. They walked around while on it.

Using on

Next, listen to an example where on is the correct choice.

The book is on the table.

The verb be does not suggest movement. The book is already there. Therefore, you cannot say, “The book is onto the table.”

With a few verbs, such as put, you can use either word. Here is an example:

He put the book onto the table.

It has the same meaning as this:

He put the book on the table.

Onto is technically⁶ right. But on usually sounds more natural with put in speech.

And that’s Ask a Teacher.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

preposition¹ – n. a word or group of words that is used to show direction, location⁷, or time or to introduce an object

confuse – v. to make someone uncertain or unable to understand something

sofa – n. a long and comfortable piece of furniture on which a person can sit or lie down

stage – n. a raised platform in a theater or auditorium⁸ where performers⁹ or speakers stand

roof – n. the cover or top of a building, vehicle or something else