# EN: au vers, à la ligne X - in / on / at line X - preposition



## caroy

I always have problems with the preposition I should use when quoting. Should I say :

on line 8
in line 8

or just :

line 8

[…]

Thanks for your help

*Note des modérateurs :* Plusieurs fils ont été fusionnés pour créer celui-ci.


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## syd047

On utilise "on line 8" mais surtout pas "in", personnellement je dis "line" tout court […]


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## wildan1

_*on* line 8_ ... refers to the whole line in general

But you could say _*in* line 8_ to point out a more specific thing inside that line.

In general, we use* on.*


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## OnPoint

[…]
In a letter, I might say:
Imagine, getting a telegram that says "Mother dead.  Burial tomorrow.  Best wishes"!  That's _*on line 3*_ _*on page 8*_ in my copy of L'Ëtranger.

Hope this helps.


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## cinthia36

Hello!

Talking about a poem, do we have to say: on line 5,.. or in line 5,...

Or maybe: on the line 5,... or in the line 5,...

Thanks

La phrase en français serait:

Dans le vers 5, le poète...


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## Franglais1969

Bon.

*On the fifth line*, the poet...


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## cinthia36

Hi!

I would like to say that it was wrong.

When we talk about a poem we must say: *in the tenth line...*


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## Franglais1969

I am sorry, I do not agree. I most certainly would say *on*.

[…]

I would say either:

*On the tenth line
*
or

*In line 10*

[…]


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## mari06

Bonsoir, est il plus correct de dire "in line 10" ou bien "on line 10" pour dire "à la ligne 10" dans un texte? J'ai déjà entendu parler d'un nuance s'il s'agit d'un poème ou d'un texte en prose, mais ne me souviens pas de la différence! Merci de vos réponses.


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## sidevie

I'd say *on* line 10, or simply line 10


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## Kiwipro

I would say *in* line 10!  Maybe a difference between US and New Zealand English?


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## misterk

It depends on the context.  We would say, for example:
_There's a word in line 10 that I don't understand._
_What is the author referring to in line 10, when he writes "bright star"?_
_John, will you read some of the poem for us?  Start on line 18._
_The instructions tell us to enter our gross wages on line 15 of the form._


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## Kiwipro

Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec cette explication tranchante!


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## v.tinguely

Hello everyone,

Would you say :

_on _or _in _ line 34 when quoting a book reference? 

Is it that _on _would be used by American native speakers and _in _by British native speakers?

Thank you for your answer!


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## Audhumla

Hmm I would say "on line ##".
I'm Australian but I wouldn't think one was British and one American.
I'm pretty sure it's just on. Following from "on page ##".


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## Itisi

I would say 'at line ##'!


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## Audhumla

Interesting. I've never heard "at line . . ."
Must not be something Australians have picked up.


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## misterk

AE response:
If I were pointing someone to a line in a text, I'd say "in":  "In line 34, the author uses alliteration."  "In line 15, he repeats the claim he made in line 8."
If I were expaining how to fill in a tax form, for example, I'd use "on."  "On line 12, please enter your gross annul income." "Multiply the amount you entered on line 20 by 5%."


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## Wendolene

misterk said:


> It depends on the context. We would say, for example:
> _There's a word in line 10 that I don't understand.
> What is the author referring to in line 10, when he writes "bright star"?
> John, will you read some of the poem for us? Start on line 18.
> The instructions tell us to enter our gross wages on line 15 of the form._


If I understood well, you say _in line _when referring to a precise word or passage from that line or when quoting that line and you _say on line _when you want to situate a line in a whole text or on a page. Am I right?



mari06 said:


> Bonsoir, est il plus correct de dire "in line 10" ou bien "on line 10" pour dire "à la ligne 10" dans un texte? J'ai déjà entendu parler d'un nuance s'il s'agit d'un poème ou d'un texte en prose, mais ne me souviens pas de la différence! Merci de vos réponses.


I was taught the same: _in line 10, on page 9._


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## misterk

Wendolene said:


> If I understood well, you say _in line _when referring to a precise word or passage from that line or when quoting that line and you _say on line _when you want to situate a line in a whole text or on a page. Am I right?



It looks like you've thought it about it more than I have , but yes, that explanation makes sense.


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