To GET IN…or…To GET ON?
What is the difference?
These idioms mean to enter or board a vehicle. But how do you know when to use GET IN and when to use GET ON?
The difference comes down to just how we enter the vehicle. I usually explain this by asking a student a simple question….”How do you enter a car?” I usually get a funny look when I ask this question, so I tell them that it is not a trick question. The student usually comes up with a reply such as: You open the door and you sit down. Then I ask, “How do you enter a bus?” The driver opens the door and you walk up the stairs onto the bus. So we GET IN cars, taxis, Ubers, SUVs, and trucks – but we GET ON airplanes, trains, buses, and ships. (We also GET ON a bicycle, horse, skateboard, motorcycle, scooter, and rides at an amusement park.) Then I ask them a question that really makes them think. “How do we board a canoe?”. The student usually thinks a moment and says, “you get in a canoe.” Yes, you do step into the canoe, but then you sit down. This helps the ESL learner to think when using prepositions. It is nice to get into a new car, but people get upset when you get on their car.
