Language/English/Grammar/Across,-over-and-through
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Across, over and through
on/to the other side of (a line): across and over[edit | edit source]
Across and over can both be used to mean 'on or to the other side of a line, river, road, bridge, etc’.
Examples[edit | edit source]
- His village is just across/over the border.
- See if you can jump across/over the stream.
high things: over preferred[edit | edit source]
We prefer over to say "on/to the other side of something high".
Example[edit | edit source]
- Why are you climbing over the wall? (not across the wall?)
flat areas: across preferred[edit | edit source]
We usually prefer across to say 'on/to the other side of a flat area or surface’.
Examples[edit | edit source]
- He walked right across the desert.
- It took them six hours to row across the lake.
the adverb over (to)[edit | edit source]
Note that the adverb over has a wider meaning than the preposition over.
We often use over (to) for short journeys.
Example[edit | edit source]
I'm going over to Jack's. Shall we drive over and see your mother?
across and through[edit | edit source]
The difference between across and through is like the difference between on and in. Through, unlike across, is used for a movement in a three-dimensional space, with things on all sides.
Compare[edit | edit source]
- We walked across the ice. (We were on the ice.)
- I walked through the wood. (I was in the wood.)
- We drove across the desert.
- We drove through several towns.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- "Native of" Vs. "Native to"
- How do you use Adjectives
- Collocations with pay
- The Possessive Case
- Adverbs of Degree
- More Uses of the Dash
- How Do Silent Letters Work?
- More on Omission
- Difference between Mood Tense Voice
- ADJECTIVES