Mechanics 101

[Comsie]

Another thing that I sometimes have to think about when I'm writing is the difference between writing the word "onto" or "on to". For example, is it...

 

"He jumped onto the table!"

 

or

 

"He jumped on to the table!"

 

What is the rule when using this particular phrase? Does anybody know the correct usage? Let me know! I'm always trying to learn the right way to do this, even if I decide to use the 'wrong' way once in a while on purpose! Hehehe!

[Madbomber]

I did some research on this subject for you and I am only slightly less confused so I hope this helps. The main jist of it from what I can gather is that when you use onto or into as one word instead of two it has to do with a motion. For example: I jumped onto the roof or I went into the bar. Here's an excerpt from a writing forum at http://www.writewords.org.uk/forum/65_51723.asp

 

 

On to or Onto? Traveller at 18:46 on 11 November 2005

 

Sorry it's a crap one. But what's the difference? (blush)

 

Re: On to or Onto? EmmaD at 20:02 on 11 November 2005

 

Well, I've run into trouble with this recently too. I've just looked it up in Fowler, and I'm only a little the wiser.

 

'on to' is older - 1581, than 'onto' - 1715

 

'On to' is two words for things like: 'Everybody is on to (i.e. wise to) that' or the 'We must walk on to Keswick' or 'Pass it on to your neighbour'. I think the principle is that here the 'on' is an adverb describing what the verb's doing more precisely, (walk on, as opposed to walk back) and the 'to' is a preposition, showing how the verb-adverb phrase then applies to the object (to Keswick, not past Keswick)

 

Onto is one word when it is a preposition showing how the verb applies to the object: 'We drove onto the beach' or 'I dropped a hat onto my head'

 

I would cheerfully write things like 'he threw it onto the roof' but I've had a copy editor change it to 'he threw it on to the roof', and to be honest, I should have but didn't stop to ask myself why until now. Even now I understand a bit more, there are clearly overlaps: 'I drove on to the beach' could mean where you headed towards after the party, or that you put the car on the sand. 'I drove onto the beach' clearly means the latter.

 

Emma

 

Re: On to or Onto? darkstar at 20:13 on 11 November 2005

 

They do have quite distinct meanings, and different pronounciations as well - or they do when I say them.

 

'I drove on to the beach' means something like, I drove past the golf club, up the hill until I got to the beach.

 

'I drove onto the beach' means something like, I drove the car through the dunes and parked on the sand.

 

In the first, the vowel in 'on' is much longer.

 

Cas

 

 

I tried to look up this Fowler thing that they talk about and I figured out it is a book called Fowler's Modern English Usage. Apparently it's a pretty big deal in the UK. I'll keep looking and try to make it less muddy. Later, Me.