BBC teachers' answer:
Robert:
"sleep in" implies that one is sleeping where people normally sleep, and that one is covered, e.g., a bed.
"sleep on" suggests sleeping where one does not normally sleep, e.g.,
"You have to sleep on the couch".
"You have to sleep on the floor".
"I have a cot that you can sleep on".
However, it is possible to sleep IN a chair, if it's the right kind of chair. (a stuffed chair? A barber's chair?)
Rover:
In the UK at least, 'sleep in' can mean 'oversleep'.
'I missed my bus this morning. The alarm clock didn't go off and I slept in'.
Robert:
In the US, "to sleep in" means to voluntarily sleep in, not accidentally.
The alarm clock went off, I turned it off and stayed in bed knowingly.
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Honestly, I do not know whether these people are "professional teachers" or just some English native speakers who try to answer my question.
From Robert in the first response, the explanation is totally not what I expect to see. I am not asking which preposition I should use in different situation (though it is also a "explanation"), but what the phrases mean.
I look up my dictionary and here is the definition:
sleep in - to sleep until after the time you usually get up in the morning.
sleep on (sth) - (informal) to delay making a decision about sth until the next day, so that you have time to think about it. e.g. Could I sleep on it and let you know tomorrow?
Then the second respondent, Rover, provided what I really need, the definition of the phrase. And Robert gave some further information about what "sleep in" means in the U.S., but it seems to conflict with what Rover explained. Unfortunately, no one tells the meaning of "sleep on."
BBC message board is a good forum for people discussing the English languages questions and usage. However, take my question as an example, this board is used for discussion but not the main material to solve your problem. I suggest that if you find words/ phrases/ idioms that you do not quite understand, look up the dictionary first. Unless the dictionary cannot satisfy you, go to the discussing board.
Good comments!
ReplyDeleteWhich message board did you use, "communicate" or "to ask a question"? I mentioned in class that the second message board are maintained by a group of teachers hired by BBC.
Also, the way you ask your question matter. Need to be concise, informative, and sometimes with some elabroation, so they'll know the direction to go when they answer your question.