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 #2 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 21:48 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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Hi Tom
"On the bus" is a commonly used collocation, of course. However, I'd say you could use either one. What's the broader context? I'd say the use of "in" will focus the idea more exclusively and literally on the idea of "inside" (rather than "outside").
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Yankee
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| #3 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 22:02 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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Hi, Amy
So, if somebody from work calls me on my cell phone to inquire where I am (suppose I'm running late), I can reply:
I'm on the bus/trolleybus/tram right now, in two minutes will be at work
Thanks ! |
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Lost_Soul
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| #4 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 22:06 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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Hi Alex
Yes, I'd use "on" to indicate that I am currently a passenger on a bus/train/trolley.
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Yankee
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| #5 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 22:15 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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Thank you, Amy
In fact, it is a very frequently used phrase, seeing as (at least in my country) people often call each other on cellular phones only to ask where they are at the moment.  (like "where are you?" "I'm on the bus") |
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Lost_Soul
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| #6 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 22:55 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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| lost_soul wrote: |
| In fact, it is a very frequently used phrase, seeing as (at least in my country) people often call each other on cellular phones only to ask where they are at the moment. (like "where are you?" "I'm on the bus") |
Not only in your country, believe me. This is what you'd here any given day of the week (of course, you don't usually hear the person on the other end):
'Hel-lo!'
...
'Hey Jimmy, how's tricks.'
...
'I'm on the 15B into town, ya know, still on Rathgar Road stuck in bleedin' traffic just before the roundabout in Rathmines, ya know, probably another 5 to 10 minutes to Swan Centre I'd say, so it'd be like 5ish till I get to Dame Street, right, but I'll sure meet ya some time between half 5 and 6 at the Burger King on Grafton, I reckon.'
...
'Oh, yer not coming out tonight. Fair play to you, not a worry, talk to ya soon.'
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| #7 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 23:43 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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.
On the off chance that you're all misinterpreting my first post, the expression "on the bus" is definitely the most likely collocation you'll hear. It's very commonly used.
However, a possible use of "in" cannot be completely ruled out. The broader context could actually make "in" more appropriate.
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Yankee
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Nessie
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| #9 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:19 am "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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| lost_soul wrote: |
Hi, Amy
So, if somebody from work calls me on my cell phone to inquire where I am (suppose I'm running late), I can reply:
I'm on the bus/trolleybus/tram right now, in two minutes will be at work
Thanks ! |
Yes. "One the bus" normally has the meaning of "I'm traveling". |
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| #10 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:38 am "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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Hi Molly,
I think you've hit the nail on the head - on the bus = travelling by bus. In the/a bus = location inside the bus.
Alan
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| #12 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 13:33 pm "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
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| nessie wrote: |
| Hi Amy,Could you please be more specific about the broader context? |
Hi Nessie
Using "on the bus" includes the general idea of "in" but also focuses on the idea of the bus as a means of transportation. Depending on the broader context, you might want to focus exclusively on the idea of physically being inside the bus (in contrast to being outside the bus). Something like this, perhaps:
We had broken down, and while we were waiting in the breakdown lane for road service, a tractor-trailer nearly sideswiped our bus. The truck hit six of the people who'd left the bus. All six of them died. Fortunately, I was in the bus when the accident took place, and that probably saved my life. If I'd been standing next to the bus like those other six people, that truck might have killed me too!
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