Difference between 'on the street' and 'in the street'

[Kettyr]

Please help me differentiate between ON THE STREET and IN THE STREET.

What should I say:

The children were playing ..... the street.

Thanks and bye

Kettyr

[Yankee]

Hi Ketty

I would prefer "in the street" in your sentence.

For me, the meaning is basically "in the middle of the street" and I suppose that's the reason I would prefer "in".

Amy

[Jamie (K)]

You can say on the street or in the street, depending on what you mean.

If you say in the street, the kids are playing right in the middle of the street, where a car could hit them, if one came.

If you say on the street, the kids are probably playing next to the street, but not in the place where the cars go. Maybe they are playing on the sidewalk.

[Alan]

Hi Ketty,

I agree that in the street suggests that the children are playng in the road and are in the way of passing traffic.

I think that on the street refers more to location with regard to where you live. There is a song in the musical My Fair Lady (based on a play by Bernard Shaw), which comes to my mind and here is the refrain:

[Jamie (K)]

Alan, what do the British say to indicate that someone lives "__" a certain street?

In the US we say that I live on Bedford Road and that my sister lives on University Street. It seems to me that in the British ESL books that I taught from in Europe, people lived in Bedford Road and in University Street. Is that accurate?

The play and film My Fair Lady was written by Lerner and Lowe, so I suppose the prepositions would reflect American usage. Would British usage be the same in that regard?

[Alan]

Hi,

It would be He lives in Broad Street. I suppose that particular refrain is so fixed in my mind (or ho ho on my mind) that it almost sounds funny to say

[Lilish]

Hello,
would you please tell me which one of
the following is correct?
people who are walking,shopping,driving,in?/on ?the street...........

[Minh]

Hello Lilish,

I think it is more concisely to say, 'people who are walking, shopping, driving on the street.' By using the preposition 'on', it indicates that every action verb (are walking, are driving, are shoping) have ocurred on the surface of the street. However, it is also possible to use the preposition 'in' in this case. It has a slightly changing meaning. If you use " in the street," the whole phrase indicates that people who are in the street are doing activities such as shoping, walking and driving. This is what I understand the your question. If I have understood your question incorrectly, please forgive me. If anyone has a strong knowledge of English, please correct my understanding.

Thanks,

Minh

[Sitifan]

In American English "in the street" means "inside the boundaries of the
street," while "on the street" means "along the sides of the street."

This shows "in the street":

-----------------------------
X X X X
-----------------------------

This shows "on the street":

X X X X
-----------------------------

-----------------------------
X X X X

However, in British English IN is used as American English uses ON.
Example:
Tim lives in Highwater Ave. (British)
Tim lives on Highwater Ave. (American)

http://www.englishforums.com/English/InOnTheStreets/bpgrj/Post.htm
_________________
Thank you very much for your reply.

[HamburgEnglish]

Hi Guys ...

On the street ... to be on the street. Often used to mean penniless, poor, no money ...etc

I can't believe that this one seemed to confused so many!

So I don't need to say the real answer oder?

[Jamie (K)]

[Sitifan]

And "on the street" sometimes means "homeless", but "in the street" doesn't.
http://www.englishforums.com/English/OnInTheRoad/zhkqd/post.htm
_________________
Thank you very much for your reply.

[HamburgEnglish]

Hi Jamie.
Nope I really meant ODER ! and it is a real question tag, just not in English.

[Alan]

Hi,

It would be better to use an English question tag as this is an English Language site, wouldn't it?

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Conditionals

[HamburgEnglish]

Sorry Alan, I will make sure that I utter not another word other than English on the site (???)

Jamie's comment was quite ok and fun up until ...