Is “the fire consumed everything on its way” correct?












4















I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?










share|improve this question



























    4















    I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?










    share|improve this question

























      4












      4








      4








      I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?










      share|improve this question














      I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?







      grammar idiomatic-language






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      share|improve this question











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      asked 1 hour ago









      repomonsterrepomonster

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          6














          They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.




          If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.




          "In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.




          You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.




          Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:




          On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.




          Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.




          The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.




          "Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.



          I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.






          share|improve this answer


























          • If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

            – repomonster
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago








          • 1





            It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

            – David Schwartz
            52 mins ago



















          1














          They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.



          In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.



          'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.



          On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.



          Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.



          A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen. Anything the fire could do during its journey could be done on its way.



          However, when it comes to humans, there is sometimes a context that implies convenience (but that context doesn't always exist). For instance, "Since you're already going to Chicago, will you pick up some stuff for me on the way?" That's about convenience, while, "I called my mother on the way" isn't necessarily.



          It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.






          share|improve this answer


























          • I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

            – Ed Grimm
            16 mins ago











          Your Answer








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          2 Answers
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          2 Answers
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          active

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          active

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          6














          They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.




          If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.




          "In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.




          You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.




          Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:




          On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.




          Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.




          The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.




          "Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.



          I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.






          share|improve this answer


























          • If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

            – repomonster
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago








          • 1





            It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

            – David Schwartz
            52 mins ago
















          6














          They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.




          If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.




          "In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.




          You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.




          Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:




          On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.




          Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.




          The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.




          "Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.



          I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.






          share|improve this answer


























          • If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

            – repomonster
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago








          • 1





            It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

            – David Schwartz
            52 mins ago














          6












          6








          6







          They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.




          If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.




          "In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.




          You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.




          Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:




          On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.




          Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.




          The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.




          "Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.



          I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.






          share|improve this answer















          They are not equivalent. "On the way" means that the location or object is along, adjacent to, or near some route.




          If we're going to John's house, can we stop by the store to pick up some snacks? It's on the way.




          "In the way" means that the location or object is directly in the path or blocking that route.




          You used to be able to see the ocean from that hotel, but recently they built a larger hotel that's in the way.




          Another way to think about it is that something on the way is convenient, while something in the way is an obstruction. It's possible to have both in the same sentence:




          On the way to Lauren's house out in the country, we were delayed by a herd of cows that were in the way.




          Moreover, "on the way" only really makes sense when talking about something related to people, or other entities that have the ability for conscious choice, even if it's only to specify some point of interest.




          The restaurant is on the way to our hotel, if you want to stop for a quick bite.




          "Fire" would not qualify, as it is mindless. A fire would not stop at a corner store to pick up a bag of chips (a.k.a. crisps) on its way to burn a town. Instead it might burn down the store, if it was in the way.



          I can't think of any case where you can freely substitute one for the other without changing the nuance.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 1 hour ago

























          answered 1 hour ago









          AndrewAndrew

          68.7k677152




          68.7k677152













          • If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

            – repomonster
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago








          • 1





            It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

            – David Schwartz
            52 mins ago



















          • If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

            – repomonster
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago






          • 1





            @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

            – Andrew
            1 hour ago








          • 1





            It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

            – David Schwartz
            52 mins ago

















          If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

          – repomonster
          1 hour ago





          If fire would be used as a metaphor for army it would then make sense?

          – repomonster
          1 hour ago




          1




          1





          @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

          – Andrew
          1 hour ago





          @repomonster It depends on the context. If you're talking about wanton destruction then you'll want to associate the army with any other destructive force, and in the way makes more sense. "On its march south, the Union army indiscriminately torched any towns that were in the way."

          – Andrew
          1 hour ago




          1




          1





          @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

          – Andrew
          1 hour ago







          @repomonster If you use "on the way" it makes it sound like the army is making side trips to consciously choose its targets, "On its way south, the Union army took care to burn down any railway depots, supply caches, and anything else that might be of strategic value"

          – Andrew
          1 hour ago






          1




          1





          It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

          – David Schwartz
          52 mins ago





          It's hard to think of examples where they mean the same thing. Being "on the way" (easy to get to from the path) and "in the way" (blocking the path) don't have even remotely similar meanings. They even have opposite implications with "on the way" implying convenience and "in the way" implying inconvenience.

          – David Schwartz
          52 mins ago













          1














          They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.



          In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.



          'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.



          On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.



          Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.



          A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen. Anything the fire could do during its journey could be done on its way.



          However, when it comes to humans, there is sometimes a context that implies convenience (but that context doesn't always exist). For instance, "Since you're already going to Chicago, will you pick up some stuff for me on the way?" That's about convenience, while, "I called my mother on the way" isn't necessarily.



          It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.






          share|improve this answer


























          • I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

            – Ed Grimm
            16 mins ago
















          1














          They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.



          In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.



          'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.



          On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.



          Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.



          A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen. Anything the fire could do during its journey could be done on its way.



          However, when it comes to humans, there is sometimes a context that implies convenience (but that context doesn't always exist). For instance, "Since you're already going to Chicago, will you pick up some stuff for me on the way?" That's about convenience, while, "I called my mother on the way" isn't necessarily.



          It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.






          share|improve this answer


























          • I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

            – Ed Grimm
            16 mins ago














          1












          1








          1







          They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.



          In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.



          'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.



          On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.



          Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.



          A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen. Anything the fire could do during its journey could be done on its way.



          However, when it comes to humans, there is sometimes a context that implies convenience (but that context doesn't always exist). For instance, "Since you're already going to Chicago, will you pick up some stuff for me on the way?" That's about convenience, while, "I called my mother on the way" isn't necessarily.



          It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.






          share|improve this answer















          They can mean similar things in many cases, but they are definitely not always the same. For instance, 'in' can mean 'inside [of]' while 'on' can mean 'on top [of]'. There are too many use cases to explain. You pretty much have to know them all in a case by case sort of way.



          In your example, they mean different things, but the effect could be similar.



          'The fire consumed everything in its way' means that the fire burned everything that was blocking its path.



          On the other hand, 'The fire consumed everything on its way' literally could mean 'everything' (rather than just everything in its path). However, people would probably understand your intent.



          Doing something on the way doesn't have to mean that the direct object is nearby: e.g. 'I called my friend on my way to the dentist.' Your friend could be in another country.



          A fire could destroy things far away on its way, too. For instance, the destruction of a bomb factory in its path could blow up the whole town on its way. I think it would be reasonable to say the fire destroyed the town, but people could argue that. Or a fire might cause a beam to fall that triggers a switch that makes a rocket launch that causes who knows what else to happen. Anything the fire could do during its journey could be done on its way.



          However, when it comes to humans, there is sometimes a context that implies convenience (but that context doesn't always exist). For instance, "Since you're already going to Chicago, will you pick up some stuff for me on the way?" That's about convenience, while, "I called my mother on the way" isn't necessarily.



          It's pretty common for 'in' and 'on' to mean different things.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 40 mins ago

























          answered 1 hour ago









          ShuleShule

          23016




          23016













          • I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

            – Ed Grimm
            16 mins ago



















          • I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

            – Ed Grimm
            16 mins ago

















          I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

          – Ed Grimm
          16 mins ago





          I feel like the fire would only be consuming things on its way if it had an apparent destination. "The fire went straight for the gas company, and consumed everything on its way." Other than this nit, I prefer your answer, because it feels like it speaks more directly to the OP's example.

          – Ed Grimm
          16 mins ago


















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