why do some people use "in" the chair and others use "on" the chair?

[The Dude]

I'm with Barb_D on this.

[The Dude]

the messages given to the questions by members sometimes could be rather long and complex. thus it might take a few minutes to read and grasb well. Truly, I can not read that long message completely. I wish members would watch out the length of the posts.

Speaking just for myself, I'll give a short reply if a short reply is enough. If not, I'll make it as long as necessary to explain the point clearly. That's because, as a teacher, I hope my students want to learn, not just have the answers.

So far, my shortest reply has been one smiley. The longest was undoubtedly far too long...

[JMurray]

I would definitely "sit in" an upholstered armchair that, as TheParser says, wraps around you. However, I often hear and say things like: "Just go and sit on the sofa" or "We had a good time on the sofa", which indicates that the upholstery is not decisive.
I sit on a bench or a stool, but I'm sure I hear "sit in" and "sit on" about as often as each other in reference to a chair with a back but no arms, like a kitchen or dining chair. In my experience, in a situation where the hostess is directing the guests towards the appropriate dining chair she is more likely to say, "You can sit in this chair, next to Aunty Gladys".

not a teacher

[allenman]

TheParser is as ever thorough in his answer
But I've just taken aback at your advice to use in instead on.
Not because I don't agree, it's just because of I always use and hear of on the chair. Though this is may be a good advice when staying in the US..

Hmmm....as a native I totally disagree. :)
A person sits IN a chair....an object usually rests ON a chair (e.g. the book is over there on the chair).

As several responders have noted, you *can* say "on" when referring to a person but the use is situational.
I might climb on a chair.
I sat on that chair over there.
The cat is sitting on my favorite chair.
Bob sits in his chair all day and dreams.
Sitting in a chair all day is a sure sign of laziness.
Standing on a chair can be dangerous.

Hope those examples help.

Not a teacher, just a native

[eddy143]

thanks a lot.

[eddy143]

well understood. thanks a million.

[BobK]

I'm surprised that nobody seems to have mentioned a metaphorical use of 'in the chair' (at least, I think nobody has. It's associated with the point that has been made, that 'in' is normal for a well-upholstered (or otherwise ornate chair). If you are 'in the chair' at a meeting you are (to use another metaphor) 'holding the reins' - you are in control.

Etymological note: most Romance languages have a word for 'cathedral' that refers to the bishop's throne - Latin cathedra. Portuguese is the only one I know of that uses Sé - a word that refers to the bishop's sitting there - from the Latin sedere. English has a related word, archaic in most cases - but still alive in some contexts, such as Diocese of Winchester - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (which Wikipedia helpfully translates to 'the Diocese of Winchester - look at the URL though'). This underlines the fact that being seated is a position of authority: the bishop is 'in the chair' in a cathedral (although use of that idiom in that context is a bit of a stretch! )

b

[5jj]

the messages given to the questions by members sometimes could be rather long and complex. thus it might take a few minutes to read and grasb well. Truly, I can not read that long message completely. I wish members would watch out the length of the posts.

When somebody has taken the trouble to write a detailed answer to your question, your response comes across as ungrateful and impolite. If it's too long for you, you can just ignore it, but it may be extremely helpful for others.