in/on the island; in/on the islands

[sitifan]

"I had only been in the island a short time, and could not speak Chinese."
Source: Elisabeth A. Turner (Mrs. Barclay), Letters from Far Formosa to Boys and Girls (London: privately printed, 1910), Letter No. 2.
Can I use "on the island" instead of "in the island" here?
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=in+the+island,+on+the+island&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3

 

[SoothingDave]

You should.

 

[emsr2d2]

You should also check your spelling carefully before posting. Check your title. You still have time to edit it.

 

[sitifan]

Which is correct, "in the islands" or "on the islands"?
https://books.google.com/ngrams/gra...&corpus=en&smoothing=3&case_insensitive=false

 

[jutfrank]

They're both correct. Choice of preposition is determined by what you mean.

What do you already know about what these prepositions 'on' and 'in' can mean?

 

[sitifan]

ChatGPT says: Both can be correct, but they mean slightly different things.

on the islands (most common)​

Use this when you mean living, staying, or being located on the land of the islands.

• They live on the islands.
• We spent a week on the islands.

Here, each island is treated like a surface (same idea as on the island).

This is the default choice in modern English.

---

in the islands (less common, different nuance)​

Use this when you mean within the island region/area as a whole, not focusing on specific land surfaces.

• He worked in the islands for several years.
• The species is found in the islands of the Pacific.

This sounds:

• more general
• sometimes a bit formal or literary

---

Key difference:​

• on the islands → physically on the land
• in the islands → within the region/group

---

Quick comparison:​

• We vacationed on the islands. (we stayed there)
• He spent years in the islands. (general region, less specific)

---

Bottom line:​

If you're unsure, use on the islands — it's safer and more natural in modern English.

 

[Glizdka]

Be careful! Chat GPT has barely learned to walk. You're asking it to sprint with this one.

 

[sitifan]

Be careful! Chat GPT has barely learned to walk. You're asking it to sprint with this one.

What does "this one" refer to?

 

[Glizdka]

What does "this one" refer to?

This task. Telling the difference between in and on an island.

Both are viable options, but they differ in meaning. Sometimes, the difference is very slight, and it depends on what the speaker has in mind. I wouldn't, at all, trust an AI with teaching me English on topics such as this one.

 

[jutfrank]

ChatGPT has given a decent answer this time, in my opinion.

 

[Glizdka]

ChatGPT has given a decent answer this time, in my opinion.

Yeah, I was trying to say that, in general, one shouldn't uncritically trust the AI in everything they ask.

I should probably reconsider my treatment of this technology.