on the bottom, or in the bottom?

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kazi

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Aug 21, 2006
somebody asked me in store, (where did you put that?). So what I supposed to tell him,, (in) the bottom, or (on) the bottom.
 

Ouisch

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It depends. :) If, for example, you had put it in a drawer, or a bin, or some type of container, you'd say "in the bottom." If you'd set it on a shelf or in a stack of items on the floor, you'd say "on the bottom."

"Where did you put my stapler?"
"It's in the bottom drawer of my desk."



"Where did you put that latest shipment of nails?"
"Aisle three, on the bottom shelf, just to the left of the claw hammers."
 

riverkid

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Aug 17, 2006
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somebody asked me in a store, (where did you put that?). So what was I supposed to tell him, (in) the bottom, or (on) the bottom.

As Ouisch says/said, it depends. Let's imagine, 'cause you didn't say, that's it's a paper bag.

"I put it at the bottom."

This means 'at' the bottom of the other stuff that I put into the bag.

Normally for this example, we wouldn't use 'bottom', other than the one sentence above, which has a slighly different focus. We'd use "in the bag".
 
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