1. The ship is moving on the river.
2. The ship is moving in the river.
[Which preposition do we have to use?]
3. He is floating down on a wide board on the river.
4. He is floating down on a wide board in the river.
[Do we have to use 'on the river' here?]
5. He is fishing on a boat on the river.
6. He is fishing on a boat in the river.
[Do we have to put 'in' or 'on' before the river?]
1 and 2 both are OK.
3 makes more sense than 4 does. 4 seems to indicate that he is under the surface of the water, and that would not be good. Actually, 3 and 4 would be better phrased like this: He is floating down the river on a wide board.
5 and 6 seem to mean about the same thing.
When determining whether to use "in" or "on" before the word "river" in these sentences, the choice depends on the intended meaning.
1. The ship is moving on the river.
To express that the ship is moving along the surface of the river, we use "on." The ship is not submerged in the water but rather floating on top.
2. The ship is moving in the river.
Using "in" suggests that the ship is positioned within the boundaries of the river, not just on the surface. This could imply that the ship is navigating through the river.
Thus, the appropriate preposition to use depends on the desired meaning and context.
For sentences 3 and 4:
3. He is floating down on a wide board on the river.
4. He is floating down on a wide board in the river.
Both prepositions "on" and "in" are possible in these sentences, but each conveys a slightly different meaning.
- "On the river" in sentence 3 suggests that the person is floating on top of the river's surface using the wide board. The focus is on the surface of the river.
- "In the river" in sentence 4 suggests that the person is floating within the river, implying that the person is closer to the water itself rather than just on the surface.
Again, the choice between "on" or "in" depends on the intended meaning.
Regarding sentences 5 and 6:
5. He is fishing on a boat on the river.
6. He is fishing on a boat in the river.
Similar to the previous examples, both prepositions can be used here, but they convey different meanings.
- "On the river" in sentence 5 means that the person is fishing while on a boat that is located on the surface of the river. It emphasizes the boat's position atop the water.
- "In the river" in sentence 6 suggests that the boat itself is positioned within the river while the person is fishing. It implies that the boat is navigating the river itself.
The choice between "in" or "on" depends on whether the focus is on the boat's position in relation to the river or just on the surface of the river itself.