When describing three diagrams

[jka84]

Hi everyone!

I would very grateful if you could give me a little help with this point. When describing three diagrams (from left to right), what would be the most common phrase: on the left diagram OR on the left-hand diagram OR any other? And what is the most common preposition ("in" or "on") in a sentence like that: On the right-hand diagram, the supply grows in the beginning but then start falling.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: Jka84

If you're in a country which reads/writes from left to right, you can simply say "The first/second/third diagram". We will immediately know that the first is on the left, the second is in the middle and the third is on the right.

If you must use left/right etc, I'd say "In the diagram on the left, ...", "In the diagram in the middle/In the middle diagram, ..." and "In the diagram on the right, ..."

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Jka84

I prefer the explicit versions on the left, in the middle, and on the right. First, second, and third assume the reader will correctly guess the order the author has in mind.

I'm afraid I can shed little light on the question of which preposition to use. Ems and I used the natural one for each choice.

 

[emsr2d2]

jka84, please note that I have changed your thread title. Using your username as a title is completely useless. Titles should include some/all of the words/phrases you are querying.