LoginOn vs. Onto
Have you ever been confused about which of the prepositions 'on' and 'onto' you should use? Learn more in this lesson.
What Is Their Main Difference?
The main difference between 'on' and 'onto' is in the meaning they convert. 'On' is used to talk about location and motion while 'onto' is used to talk only about motion and direction.
Talking about Location
When we want to talk about the location of something that is vertically at a higher position and in contact with the surface of the lower object.
My bag is
I left the bottle
Talking about Motion
Both 'on' and 'onto' can be used to show motion and direction. Have a look:
She drove her baby stroller
She drove her baby's stroller
State verbs cannot be used with 'onto.' State verbs do not refer to action and therefore cannot help representing motions. Take a look at the following examples:
He is
He is onto his way.
Tip!
There are state verbs that are used with 'onto' to create idiomatic phrases and sentences. Such as:
She is
Here, this idiom means that the subject is close to discovering a secret.
He is
Here, it means that the subject has found a new way of solving something.
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