what do you do with a street?

[joenuts]

This may sound silly, but I sometimes I'm not sure which verb and preposition to use with a street. It's not 'cross' because you're supposed to 'take it'. May you suggest several acceptable verbs and prepositions to complete this?

Sometimes when I'm ________(the) street I feel the urge to just scream.

[explorelang]

Sorry to start this thread here, but I have a similar question.

My office is on Charles street or
My office is in Charles street

Which one is correct?

Thanking you

[Robbie_Durham]

Joenuts, for the example you have given:

Sometimes when I'm ________(the) street I feel the urge to just scream.

A number of words could be used, including in, up, down and across.

"In" can be used anywhere in a street, so that would be the best to use because it works where ever you're standing. "Up", "down" and "across" are simply more specific ways of saying where you are in the street. Pretend that you lived in a terraced house at one end of a street, and this street is on a hill. If you lived on the end which is at the top of the hill, you would live up the street. If you were at the end which was at the bottom of the hill you would live down the street. "Across" the street is simply used to refer to the opposite side of the street to that which you are on at the time.


Explorelang. "My office is on Charles street" is the correct one.

[Casiopea]

My office is on Charles Street.

For North American speakers, "on" works in that context, but for British speakers of English, wouldn't "in" work just as well, and if not, why?

[gbodet]

The first question of the thread concerned rather what verb I should use, inny?

"Sometimes when I'm ________(the) street I feel the urge to just scream."

I guess "walking" the street would be correct, or simply as suggested by Robbie a preposition "in".


Street is envisaged as a line rather than a "container", so it couldn't be "in"? I'm not satisfied with my own explanation.... Just say:"t'is so!"

[Casiopea]

Welcome, gbodet.

Originally Posted by gbodet

Street is envisaged as a line rather than a "container", so it couldn't be "in"? I'm not satisfied with my own explanation.... Just say:"t'is so!"

A long time ago, one stepped down into the street. Today, British speakers still use "in", whereas North American speakers use "on".

[joenuts]

Oops. I forgot to place two blanks. If I use the verb 'walking', would 'walking in' the street be correct?

[Casiopea]

Sometimes when I'm walking down the street I feel the urge to just scream.