Use of the word "foundation."

[bhaisahab]

Sorry, but that doesn't answer the question.

You made the statement that 'in' is generally used after foundation. But you didn't say why.

Your reply was there is nothing grammatically wrong with saying 'of' or 'at', just that we don't say it that way.

My question was why 'in' according to you is generally followed after 'foundation'.





Cheers

Hani

Let me ask you a question; do you say "I came on the bus" or "I came in the bus"? Whichever preposition you use, why do you use it?

[charliedeut]

Hi,

Maybe they didn't explain why for one or more of the following reasons:

- There is no reason why (as it often happens with 'whys' in language)
- There is, but it is too long to explain in a post, as it involves a lengthy explanation of the etymology of "foundation" as well as its historical evolution (for instance).
- There is, but they just don't happen to know.
- They were annoyed by what they considered ungratefulness/rudeness.
- ... (you name it)

charliedeut

[HanibalII]

Hi,

Maybe they didn't explain why for one or more of the following reasons:

- There is no reason why (as it often happens with 'whys' in language) If there is no reason, why state 'generally' it is used.
- There is, but it is too long to explain in a post, as it involves a lengthy explanation of the etymology of "foundation" as well as its historical evolution (for instance). Then why not provide a link/s regarding it?
- There is, but they just don't happen to know. If they don't know, then it shouldnt be stated as a 'general' rule. Nor should they be giving an answer.
- They were annoyed by what they considered ungratefulness/rudeness.No, he blew it way out. To begin with, the question was never accurately answered. What exactly was the OP suppose to thank him for? giving a very broad answer without elaborating as to why it is the answer? I thought the idea of this forum was to help people understand English. His answer gave no understanding.
- ... (you name it)

charliedeut

Those are my thoughts on this matter, and I've actually seen this as a frequent case. Some members give very succinct 'answers' without elaborating as to why it is the answer. How is that going to help posters understand?

I've seen the whole 'this is a free service' thing thrown around a lot. If answers aren't going to be given and explained why they are the answers, other than just 'We generally use....' then nobody is going to learn.

But I suppose, you get what you pay for.

[5jj]

But I suppose, you get what you pay for.

Don't forget - you get the freedom to whinge away at the poor quality of the free service, and to tell people giving the free service what they should do to improve it.

[HanibalII]

Don' forget - you get the freedom to whinge away at the poor quality of the free service, and to tell people giving the free service what they should do to improve it.

Everybody is a member of the community, does that not give everybody the right to discuss/mention certain aspects of the community.

My point is, they're doing it for free, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't still put in as much effort as they can. It may be a free service, but they choose to participate in this free service. Nobody is holding a gun to their head in order to get them to reply to questions, but if they do bother to reply, it shouldn't be half an attempt.

[5jj]

Don't forget - you get the freedom to whinge away at the poor quality of the free service, and to tell people giving the free service what they should do to improve it.

However, there are limits. I am closing this thread.

[Tdol]

My question was why 'in' according to you is generally followed after 'foundation'.

There's no reason why we use a particular preposition much of the time. Grammatically, if a preposition is required, then there is a need for a preposition but grammar does not determine which one. We could equally say on/in 8 o'clock-there is no grammatical reason why not. We don't use these prepositions because the vast majority of people in the speech community we grow up in don't.That is a reason in itself. You may find dialects where on 8 o'clock is used. I don't say on the weekend because I did not grow up in the US.

People walk through a forest. Gradually they create paths and routes. Later, people will follow these paths. Language is much like that. A lot of things, like collocation, have no reason or logic other than the fact that everybody else says them. A white and black film sounds weird, but a black and white film sounds natural- there is no grammatical reason behind the sequence. The pattern is established through usage.

On a personal note, after your if they do bother point, I suggest you look at the number of posts some people have given, often over years, and rethink your rudeness and ingratitude. If you ever repeat stuff like this, you will be banned permanently. You're free to be rude about me- that's not a banning issue, but if you sneer again at people who are asked to answer hundreds of questions a day, then I will kick you out.