on
part of speech
preposition, adverb; adjective (the light is on; the game is on)
meaning for a pupil
1) On means touching the top or side of something: on the table, on the wall. tree →
2) On shows a day or date: on Monday. tree →
3) On means working or switched on: the light is on. tree →
4) On shows what something is about: a book on sharks. tree →
5) On means going ahead, carrying on: read on. tree →
6) On means happening as planned: the party is still on. tree →
7) (casual) «You're on!» accepts a dare or a bet; «what are you on about?» means what do you mean; «not on» (UK, Australia) means not acceptable; «on me» means I'll pay. tree →
8) (rough) «Get on with it!» means hurry up; «come on!» can be an angry push or a cheer; «having me on» means fooling me. tree →
9) (formal) The exam voice says «upon», «situated upon», «concerning», «on the occasion of», «in the event of», «on each occasion». tree →
10) On can also mean against someone or aimed at someone, as in "a vengeance on her." tree →
sense in the lessons
on the table, on the board, on Monday; «on each» marks equal groups («4 birds on each branch»); in everyday life «turn on», «get on the bus», «put on your coat», «go on», «on time», «on foot», «on and on»; in safety «put your seat belt on»; in casual talk «you're on», «it's on me», «you having me on?»; in rough talk «get on with it», «come on»; in the exam voice «situated upon», «upon each shelf», «on the occasion of»
examples
- So the people rested on the seventh day. (Torah EXO.16.30, JPS 1917) tree →
- And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. (Torah GEN.12.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. (Torah GEN.33.16, JPS 1917) tree →
- Is there injustice on my tongue? (Writings JOB.6.30, JPS 1917) tree →
- For the Leader; on the Sheminith. (Writings PSA.12.1, JPS 1917) tree →
- Lord, how long wilt Thou look on? (Writings PSA.35.17, JPS 1917) tree →
- I put three spoons on the table. tree →
- Ben bought 6 cards on Monday … tree →
- There are 4 birds on each branch. tree →
- The cat is sleeping on my bed. tree →
- Turn the light on, please. tree →
- Put your coat on; it's cold. tree →
- We went to school on foot. tree →
- Read on to find out what happens. tree →
- race ya to the gate? «you're on» tree →
- Ice creams are on me, how many we need? tree →
- Oh, get on with it, just count them! tree →
- There are 3 shelves; upon each shelf are situated 6 volumes. Determine the total. tree →
- "A vengeance on her!" said they. tree →
note
No clue by itself; «on the table» marks where things are counted. Trap: «on each» or «upon each» marks equal groups: multiply. «it's on me» means I'll pay, not a place. «You having me on?» means are you joking. Use «on» for days (on Monday), «in» for months (in May), «at» for clock times (at 3). «upon» is a stiff form of «on».
In the corpora
- And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
- And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
- And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.
- And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
- And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «on» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.