'On' means 'when,' right?
On going out, I put my jacket on.
On returning from there, I greeted people. This 'on' is hard to mean 'after,' right?
On returning home, the telephone rang. Maybe this is clearer as "On arriving home, ...," isn't it?
Search from various English teachers...
Corrections · 9
0
This is a case of using "on" as a preposition to mean immediately after.
0
Thank you, Bill! Nice to hear that. :)
0
Not old fashioned, it means "right at that moment of time" and not many people need to use this sort of phrase
0
Thank you, everyone. :) I guess the use of 'on' as 'at the time of' has become old-fashioned. Though I like the sound of it and believe logically it means 'at the time of' and doesn't mean 'after.'
0
I'm not sure whether other English speakers would agree with this or not but I don't really hear this kind of phrase used very often and when it is, "upon" seems to be used more than "on." Maybe it's a regional difference. I sometimes say something like "upon laying down to sleep" or "upon his arrival," but it's pretty uncommon. Sorry if this isn't the kind of feedback you're looking for!
Want to progress faster?
Join this learning community and try out free exercises!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!
Start Learning Today
