[Grammar] preposition

[maoyueh]

He downloaded a lot of music (A. on B. from C. off) the Internet.

Which one(s) should I choose to complete the above the sentence? Thank you a lot.

 

[bhaisahab]

He downloaded a lot of music (A. on B. from C. off) the Internet.

Which one(s) should I choose to complete the above the sentence? Thank you a lot.

I'd say they are all possible.

 

[billmcd]

He downloaded a lot of music (A. on B. from C. off) the Internet.

Which one(s) should I choose to complete the above the sentence? Thank you a lot.

I would prefer/use "from".

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use "from" as my first choice. You will hear "off" from a lot of people. I don't think "on" works here.

 

[SoothingDave]

"From" or "off" (or even "off of") works for me. "On" doesn't because the direction is wrong for removing things from a network. You can say "I put my photos on the internet."

 

[david11]

"On" doesn't because the direction is wrong for removing things from a network.

Could you please just explain it a little bit elaborately? Are you trying to say that we take something from internet like we take water from(but not on)well? In that case I don't think the word remove will work because even after downloading the original remains there.

 

[SoothingDave]

Yes, that is what I am saying. And you are right that "remove" is not the exact word.

If you think of the internet like a big data server, then you put things on the server (like uploading your family photos to Facebook) or take things off (like downloading an instruction manual or a driver for a piece of equipment). On and off. Up and down.

When taking music from the internet (understanding that you take a copy and do not remove the original) you are taking information off of the internet. So saying you downloaded music "on" the internet doesn't seem right to me.

Granted, all may not make this distinction.

When we go online, we do say we are "on the internet." So I could see someone saying "I was on the internet and I downloaded some music." But your original "I downloaded music on the internet" is logically wrong to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

When we go online, we do say we are "on the internet." So I could see someone saying "I was on the internet and I downloaded some music."

I agree and I would say that the full (and rather wordy) version of that would be "While I was on the internet, I downloaded some music from/off it."

It's easy to remember: "upload to" and "download from".

 

[david11]

Yes, that is what I am saying. And you are right that "remove" is not the exact word.

If you think of the internet like a big data server, then you put things on the server (like uploading your family photos to Facebook) or take things off (like downloading an instruction manual or a driver for a piece of equipment). On and off. Up and down.

When taking music from the internet (understanding that you take a copy and do not remove the original) you are taking information off of the internet. So saying you downloaded music "on" the internet doesn't seem right to me.

Granted, all may not make this distinction.

When we go online, we do say we are "on the internet." So I could see someone saying "I was on the internet and I downloaded some music." But your original "I downloaded music on the internet" is logically wrong to me.

Your distinction is logical but I have a different logic(?) to use on here.Without regarding whether we receive or provide data to internet, we are just doing some work on internet.(It may sound weird but I am used to saying weird things)

 

[tzfujimino]

Hello.:-D
I'd like to ask a question here if I may.
Is it not possible to interpret the sentence as :
'He downloaded a lot of music (that is) on the Internet'?
Thank you in advance.:-D

 

[emsr2d2]

Your distinction is logical but I have a different logic(?) to use on here.Without regarding whether we receive or provide data to internet, we are just doing some work on internet.(It may sound weird but I am used to saying weird things)

You can upload and download things while you are on the internet. Here, "on" means "connected to" but you wouldn't be able to say "I download music connected to the internet".

 

[SoothingDave]

Your distinction is logical but I have a different logic(?) to use on here.Without regarding whether we receive or provide data to internet, we are just doing some work on internet.(It may sound weird but I am used to saying weird things)

Yes, I agree. That's why I said that we go online, we say "I was on the internet last night." On, in this sense, is saying we were connected to the network. You could even say you watched some videos on the internet.

But, the minute you start talking about transferring something, you need to talk on or off, up or down.

 

[bhaisahab]

Yes, I agree. That's why I said that we go online, we say "I was on the internet last night." On, in this sense, is saying we were connected to the network. You could even say you watched some videos on the internet.

But, the minute you start talking about transferring something, you need to talk on or off, up or down.

While everything you say is true, I have heard "I downloaded it on the internet" very often. I would understand it as "I downloaded it (while I was) on the internet.