[General] on the right vs. to the right

[maoyueh]

Please allow me to explain why I posted this thread.

I consulted COCA and found 22 citations for "the room on the right." So I know that this is a good choice. However, I also found 9 citations for "the room to the right." I need to know whether it is also correct to say "the room or the house to the right." Thank you.


1. He lives in the house on the right.
2. He lives in the house to the right.

Are both sentences correct? What's the difference between them? Thank you so much.

 

[probus]

Both are correct. The difference, if any, is very slight and hard to specify.

 

[Tdol]

Sometimes they can mean the same, but I think to the right can be used to indicate that something is on the right-hand side, but not very far from the centre.