[Vocabulary] where or when?

[roseriver1012]

We had reached the point __________ there was no money left.

"when" or "where" should be filled in the blank? How come I found different answers in different dictionaries?

 

[Rover_KE]

A point can be a place or a time.

 

[roseriver1012]

Then, in the sentence given above, which one do you think is proper?

I found such a sentence "

She had got to the point where she felt that she could not take any more" in the dictionary of Longman,

another one "We had reached the point when there was no money left."in the dictionary of Oxford. So I am puzzled about the two

sentences. It seems that "point" presents the same meaning (an exact moment, time, or stage in the development of something) in

these two sentences, but why "where" is used in one and "when" is used in the other?

 

[onlineeslclasses]

They can both be used here and mean essentially the same thing. Personally, I think "when" sounds better. But you are not technically talking about a place or amount here, but a time. That is probably why "when" sounds better.

 

[Raymott]

To my Aussie ears, 'where' sounds more natural, even if it's technically a point in time. It's also a point in imaginary space on a timeline.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use "where" too, even though it would seem that "when" would be the more logical choice.

 

[SoothingDave]

"Where" for me, too.