"I found a purse on the road." vs "I found a purse in the road."

Question

"I found a purse on the road." vs "I found a purse in the road."

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'I found a purse in the road' implies that the purse was physically inside the road, while 'I found a purse on the road' suggests that the purse was located on the surface of the road.

Last Updated: April 01, 2024

Use this phrase when you want to convey that the purse was found on the road's surface, rather than inside it.

Examples:

I found a lost phone on the road while jogging.
She spotted a wallet on the road and returned it to its owner.
There was a bag on the road, so I moved it to the side.
He discovered a set of keys on the road and took them to the lost and found.
The children left their toys on the road, so we had to pick them up.

Alternatives:

I found a purse lying on the road.
I found a purse in the street.
I found a purse on the ground.
I found a purse on the pavement.
I found a purse on the sidewalk.

This phrase is used when you want to convey that the purse was located within the road itself, not just on the surface.

Examples:

I found a wallet in the road while I was walking home.
The keys were lying in the road, so I picked them up.
There was a cat in the road, so I had to stop my car.
She saw a book in the road and decided to pick it up.
The children were playing in the road, so we had to be careful while driving.

Alternatives:

I found a purse lying in the road.
I found a purse on the street.
I found a purse on the ground.
I found a purse on the pavement.
I found a purse on the sidewalk.

Answer 1

I found a purse on the road.

This phrase is correct and is commonly used to indicate that the purse was located on the surface of the road.

Answer 2

I found a purse in the road.

This phrase is correct and can be used when implying that the purse was physically inside the road.

"I found a purse on the road." vs "I found a purse in the road."

I found a purse on the road.

I found a purse in the road.

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