[Search in this folder] or [Search this folder]?

Status
Not open for further replies.

blueomega

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
I have the software dialog box with the list of folders. When the user selects one folder, right-click on it and in popup menu selects menu item, then the program starts search for files inside of the selected folder.
Please advise the correct name for this menu item:
Search in this folder
Search this folder

In my native language last variant sounds like "search for this folder" and this confuse me.
 
I am not a teacher.

The verb "search" is intransitive in "search in this folder" and transitive in "search this folder". The meaning is about the same.

The police might search your house if they thought you had drugs there. We would never say, though, that the police might search in your house, even though we would admit that that was what they were doing. That "search in" is a computer artifact.
 
Search this folder sounds more natural to me in the context, though both are correct.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ask a Teacher

If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know:

(Requires Registration)
Back
Top