Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[nawee]

Hello,

I have seen both "on the field" and "in the field". Do they mean the same thing?

"There were a few buffaloes on/in the field"

Thank you.

Nawee

[jumbonaut]

They are almost interchangeable, but there are preferred uses. I associate "on the field" more with a flatter, cleaner piece of land, while "in the field" with heavy brush. Footballers would be on the field. Buffalo would be in the field. Think about tall grass coming half-way up your body. Some people would perceive you to be "in" the field rather than "on" it.

A NOTE:
"In the field" could also mean something entirely different. If you were a photographer or a reporter, for instance, you could say that you saw buffalo in the field. This would mean that you saw them while you were working away from your office, but not necessarily on a large grassy piece of land.
_________________
Pat Mallon
www.englishnation.net

[pugachevV]

In the field also means engaged in combat or manouevres.

[nawee]

Thank you for your answers.

Just one more question. What about farmers? Do we say "they are working "on the field" or "in the field"? There aren't high grasses, but rice fields with water about as high as the calf's level.

Thank you.

Nawee

[Lorikeet]

Farmers work in the field. If you say someone is working on the field, I think they are fixing the soccer field or the baseball field or something like that.

[pugachevV]

In UK they say, usually, that farmers are out working " in the fields.
And we also call the submerged fields where rice is grown, "Rice paddies" ( from the Malay word p�di.)