Question 你好，请问 “on the tree” 和 “in the tree” 到底有哪些区别？“On the playground” 和 “in the playground” 的意思也是一样的吗？Thanks, Greg.
Sam Yes, prepositions – and particularly 'in' and 'on' when talking about place – can be tricky! So, Feifei, shall we start by looking at the basic difference between the two? Then, we'll look at lots of examples.
Sam So, in the case of a tree, 'leaves' or 'flowers' or 'fruit' are connected to the tree, so we would use 'on'. For example, 'In the autumn, the leaves on the trees change colour.'
Feifei 是的。比如：“leaves（树叶）”、“flowers（花朵）”、“fruit（果实）” 都是 “长在枝条上、与树木相连的”，所以要用 “on the tree” 来表示它们 “在树上”。
但要描述事物 “在树冠或枝条间” 的时候，就要用 “in the tree”。比如：My cat is in the tree and he won't come down.（我的猫在树上，不下来）。这里，“in the tree” 表示 “猫在树枝上坐着，因为猫本身和树不是一体，没有连着”。
Sam Let's look at some more examples now, specifically with 'tree'.
Examples After the storm, there wasn't much blossom left on the cherry tree. （暴风雨过后，樱花树上的花朵寥寥可数。）
There is lots of ripe fruit on the trees in the orchard. Let's go pick some. （果园里的树上有很多熟果。我们去摘一些吧。）
The little boy started crying when his balloon got stuck in a tree. （当小男孩的气球卡在树上时，他哭了起来。）
Can you see the beautiful blue and yellow bird sitting in the tree? （你能看到那只站在树上蓝黄相间的美丽鸟儿吗？）
Feifei 所以，搭配 “in the tree” 和 “on the tree” 的意思完全不同。区别它们最好的方法是想一想物体本身和树之间是不是连为一体。
接着，我们来看问题中的第二组搭配 “in the playground” 和 “on the playground”，都表示 “在操场上”。
Sam Is there a big difference, Feifei?
Feifei No. When we use 'in the playground' and 'on the playground', there is hardly any difference. “In the playground” 和 “on the playground” 几乎没有区别。
Sam Exactly. It really depends on your own definition of 'playground'. If you are thinking of a 'playground' as a two-dimensional area of space or a patch of ground, then use 'on'.
Feifei 对的。说到 “playground”，如果你的脑海里出现的是 “一片平面的区域或地面”，那就可以用 “on the playground” 表示 “在操场上”。
但如果你想象的 “playground” 是 “被围起来的户外的活动空间，而且装有大门”，那就需要用 “in the playground” 来表示 “在操场上”。
Sam In the UK, our playgrounds tend to be distinct outdoor areas, often enclosed by a fence, so people probably use 'in the playground' more for this reason. But, again, both are correct and commonly used. Let's hear a couple of examples.
Examples The kids spent hours in the playground today. They're exhausted. （孩子们今天在操场上玩了好几个小时。他们精疲力尽。）
Where's your hat? Did you leave it on the playground? （你的帽子呢？你把它落在操场上了吗？）
Sam Now, we thought it might be helpful to also introduce the difference between 'in the field' and 'on the field' here.
Feifei 下面我们给大家补充一下 “in the field” 和 “on the field” 之间的区别。
名词 “field” 的意思是 “种庄稼、饲养牲畜的田地或运动场”，像 “playground” 一样，“field” 的周围也可能装有围栏和门。所以，在表示 “在农田里，在田间” 的时候，就要用介词 “in” —— “in the field” 或者 “in a field”。
Sam Yes, so a farmer works 'in a field', or animals are kept 'in a field'. If you hear someone say 'on the field' in this context, they probably mean 'on the ground' or 'on the grass' referring to being connected to and touching the surface of the ground or grass.
Feifei 那么他们很可能说的是 “在地面上” 或 “在草地上”，强调 “物体与地面或草地直接接触”。来听三个例句，例句中用 “in a field” 或 “in the field” 来表示 “在地里”。
Examples Most of the sheep are grazing in the field. Only a few are lying on the grass. （大多数羊都在地里吃草。只有几只躺在草地上。）
We try to work in the field early in the morning, as it gets too hot later in the day. （我们尽量早上下地干活，因为晚些时候天气会变得太热。）
Please don't leave the tools out in the field overnight – they will get rusty if left on the ground. （请不要把农具放在地里不收，如果留在地里，它们会生锈的。）
Sam But, if we change the context from agriculture to sport, it's common to hear 'on the field', isn't it, Feifei?
Feifei 是的，名词 “field” 还可以指 “运动场”。那么，“在运动场上” 所对应的搭配就是 “on the field”。比如：The players and coaches are on the field.
Sam Of course, if you want to be more specific, depending on the sport, you can say 'on the football pitch' or 'on the golf course', but it's also correct just to say 'on the field'. Let's hear a couple of examples.
Examples After a red card, we only had ten players on the field. （我队收到一张红牌后，场上只剩下10名球员。）
When his team won, the coach joined the players on the field. （当他的球队获胜时，教练也走上了球场，加入到了球员的行列。）
Sam Yes! Thank you for another great question and remember that if you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us too, at: questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk
