[Grammar] in the mountains/on the mountain(s)

[Crowned 91]

Hello!

Could you please tell me whether the prepositions on and in are used properly in these examples?

1) We went hiking in the mountains.
2) She went skiing in the mountains.
3) We got lost in the mountains.
4) The old man lived in the mountains.
5) She often goes hiking/skiing in the Great Smoky Mountains.
6) There is a lot of snow on the mountains.
7) We always go hiking/skiing on the same mountain.
8) We got lost on a mountain.
9) The old man lived on a mountain.(on top of a mountain?)
10) She often goes hiking/skiing on Wedge Mountain[FONT=arial, sans-serif].[/FONT]

 

[Tarheel]

Those are all perfectly fine. (Because you live on a mountain that doesn't have to mean you live on the top of the mountain.)

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

[Not a teacher]

Hello!

Could you please tell me whether the prepositions on and in are used properly in these examples?

1) We went hiking in the mountains.
2) She went skiing in the mountains.
3) We got lost in the mountains.
4) The old man lived in the mountains.
5) She often goes hiking/skiing [STRIKE]in[/STRIKE] on the Great Smoky Mountains.
6) There is a lot of snow on the mountains.
7) We always go hiking/skiing on (or in) the same mountain.
8) We got lost on a mountain.
9) The old man lived on a mountain.
10) She often goes hiking/skiing on Wedge Mountain.

I am neither a teacher nor an English-native speaker, but am I wrong if I say that "on the mountain" should be used to refer to a specific or known mountain?

"She often goes hiking/skiing on the Great Smoky Mountains." / We always go hiking/skiing on (or in) the same mountain.

In the same way, I would like to ask for opinion on the eighth point, since I think that the person got lost in the mountains, as refering to an area or region.

To my knowledge, there would be the following possibilities:

In a/the Mountain: Inside the mountain (mining, potholing, caving, etc).

In a/the Mountain: The mountain as a region or geographic area.

On a/the Mountain: On top of/over the mountain (on the summit, snowing on the mountain, etc).

On the "X" Mountain: A known or specific mountain.

Thanks for your patience.

 

[Tarheel]

[Not a teacher]



I am neither a teacher nor an English-native speaker, but am I wrong if I say that "on the mountain" should be used to refer to a specific or known mountain?

Yes, that makes sense. (Notice the examples posted by the OP.)

Note that you don't get lost in a mountain, but you can get lost in the mountains.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Note that you don't get lost in a mountain

are you sure that "in a mountain" could not be used to refer to a geographic feature, meaning a region or landform?

[Please see posts #8 and #9]

 

[Tarheel]

If you are going to hike in the mountains make sure you have extra clothing, because the weather can turn nasty fast.

(What type of geographic feature are you referring to? A cirque, perhaps? (I think you would find that on a mountain. The same with a glacier.)

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

A mountain is a geographic feature.

 

[Tdol]

Unless you're caving, you'd get lost on a mountain IMO.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Unless you're caving, you'd get lost on a mountain IMO.

Yes, you are right.

But also "get lost in the mountains" as a region.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

"Lost On A Mountain In Maine" (by Donn Fendler)

 

[Tarheel]

First of all, remember that the OP got everything right. (Any changes might work well or might not.)

[Not a teacher]



I am neither a teacher nor an English-native speaker, but am I wrong if I say that "on the mountain" should be used to refer to a specific or known mountain?

"She often goes hiking/skiing on the Great Smoky Mountains." / We always go hiking/skiing on (or in) the same mountain.

In the same way, I would like to ask for opinion on the eighth point, since I think that the person got lost in the mountain, as refering to an area or region.

To my knowledge, there would be the following possibilities:

In a/the Mountain: Inside the mountain (mining, potholing, caving, etc).

In a/the Mountain: The mountain as a region or geographic area.

On a/the Mountain: On top of/over the mountain (on the summit, snowing on the mountain, flying on the mountain etc).

On the "X" Mountain: A known or specific mountain.

Thanks for your patience.

You can't get lost in a mountain. It makes a difference whether you use plural or singular. (Don't ask me to explain it. I don't want to work that hard.) You would go hiking in the Great Smokies. You don't fly on a mountain. You fly over a mountain. (I would hope you would make it over the mountain. Otherwise, you'd crash.)

I hope I have covered everything.

(If you think I might be wrong, ask Tdol.)

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

I agree with you about the plural in the case of getting lost in the mountains, like said in post #9.

In my case - and many others here, I guess - it is a very interesting problem about moving between languages.

There is no need for more explanation.

Nevetheless, I thought that the preposition "on" should be used in the case of specific mountains. Or I read it here and there.

Obviously, you fly over the mountains, but I am sure that I have read expressions as "flying on the mountains" many times.

 

[Rover_KE]

...I am sure that I have read expressions as "flying on the mountains" many times.

That's odd. I'm sure I've never read or heard it in the last 70 years.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

I swear to you that I have read "flying on" in different sites. Like I said, the right preposition is "over" (or above), but I think that we are not talking about the same thing.

"Flying over" to refer to, for instance, a craft or birdflying over the mountain; and "flying on" to talk about flying in the area, the same as performing any other activity or sport "on the mountains"

Sorry for all this confusion (I have removed the example from the post).

That's odd. I'm sure I've never read or heard it in the last 70 years.

What about this part of the song "Up Where We Belong": "...Where eagles fly, on a mountain high...". What does it mean?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

[Not a teacher]



I am neither a teacher nor an English-native speaker, but am I wrong if I say that "on the mountain" should be used to refer to a specific or known mountain?

"She often goes hiking/skiing on the Great Smoky Mountains." / We always go hiking/skiing on (or in) the same mountain.

In the same way, I would like to ask for opinion on the eighth point, since I think that the person got lost in the mountains, as refering to an area or region.

To my knowledge, there would be the following possibilities:

In a/the Mountain: Inside the mountain (mining, potholing, caving, etc).

In a/the Mountain: The mountain as a region or geographic area.

On a/the Mountain: On top of/over the mountain (on the summit, snowing on the mountain, etc).

On the "X" Mountain: A known or specific mountain.

Thanks for your patience.

Hi, Jose -

The original versions were all correct. And it was good of Tarheel to point out that you can live on a mountain without living on top of it.

Yes, if you're talking about a specific mountain, then you would always say "on."

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

Then number 5 was not correct, since we are talking about the Great Smoky Mountains ("on").

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

It was good of Tarheel to point out that you can live on a mountain without living on top of it.

Yes, I get the idea.

 

[Tarheel]

Sorry for all this confusion (I have removed the example from the post).

Please don't delete something somebody has already responded to. (It can cause confusion.)

 

[Tarheel]

P.S. You are doing fine. Post more (but not in this thread).

 

[Crowned 91]

You must be joking.

I see that you are just another member of the forum, since two months, while I am here since 2006.

You are nobody to moderate my posts or tell me what to do here.

I am sure Tarheel did not mean to hurt your feelings. ;-)
As far as your post (#16) is concerned, I think that I have understood your doubt. I guess that by "specific mountain" is meant "a single mountain" rather than "the name of the mountain". In my opinion, the preposition "in" is used with"The Great Smoky Mountains" because here we are talking about a "mountain range". On the other hand, "on" is necessary when referring to just one mountain (as in my last example in post #1).
"In the mountains">>>"In the Great Smoky Mountains"
"On a/the mountain">>>"On Wedge Mountain"
P.S. Maybe this is nonsense. Let us wait for more insightful opinions.