'On the Corner' or 'at the Corner'?
2021-07-10
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1This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Jane in Taiwan about two similar prepositions. Here is the question:
2Dear VOA, I'm writing to ask a question about the differences between "at the corner" and "on the corner." Thanks for your help.
3Hello Jane,
4We are happy to help.
5Corners can be found in many spaces and places, inside and out. There are corners on boxes, for example, as well as on tables, in rooms, in parks and on streets.
6There are even corners on a piece of paper.
7To answer your question today, I will focus on streets.
8When we are talking about the corner of a street, both "on" and "at" are used in American English.
9Listen to these two examples of how they might be used:
10She is waiting at the corner.
11The man stands on the corner every morning.
12When the names of the streets are not included, the more common choice for many Americans seems to be "on."
13Now, let's suppose you wanted to be more specific.
14If you specify the streets where someone or something is located, or where something happens, the preposition "at" is common. Listen to these examples:
15Let's meet at the corner of Pike Street and East Broadway.
16A bridge collapsed at the corner of Kenilworth Avenue and Polk Street Northeast.
17The word "on" would also be acceptable both examples.
18But in the second example, it could mean that a bridge above the street corner collapsed onto it.
19However, in general, American English speakers use either preposition when discussing street corners.
20For many people, this is often just a matter of personal choice.
21And that's Ask a Teacher for this week. I'm Alice Bryant.
1This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Jane in Taiwan about two similar prepositions. Here is the question: 2Question: 3Dear VOA, I'm writing to ask a question about the differences between "at the corner" and "on the corner." Thanks for your help. 4-Jane, Taiwan 5Answer: 6Hello Jane, 7We are happy to help. 8Corners can be found in many spaces and places, inside and out. There are corners on boxes, for example, as well as on tables, in rooms, in parks and on streets. There are even corners on a piece of paper. 9To answer your question today, I will focus on streets. When we are talking about the corner of a street, both "on" and "at" are used in American English. Listen to these two examples of how they might be used: 10She is waiting at the corner. 11The man stands on the corner every morning. 12When the names of the streets are not included, the more common choice for many Americans seems to be "on." 13Now, let's suppose you wanted to be more specific. If you specify the streets where someone or something is located, or where something happens, the preposition "at" is common. Listen to these examples: 14Let's meet at the corner of Pike Street and East Broadway. 15A bridge collapsed at the corner of Kenilworth Avenue and Polk Street Northeast. 16The word "on" would also be acceptable both examples. But in the second example, it could mean that a bridge above the street corner collapsed onto it. 17However, in general, American English speakers use either preposition when discussing street corners. For many people, this is often just a matter of personal choice. 18And that's Ask a Teacher for this week. I'm Alice Bryant. 19Alice Bryant wrote this lesson for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 20What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 21_____________________________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23corner - n. a point where two lines, edges or sides meet; a place where two streets meet 24focus - v. to direct one's attention to something 25specific - adj. relating to a particular person or situation 26locate - v. to find the place or position of someone or something