"I went to work on the car." vs "I went to work in the car."

Question

"I went to work on the car." vs "I went to work in the car."

The phrases are not directly comparable as they convey different meanings. 'I went to work in the car.' means you traveled to work using the car as a mode of transportation. 'I went to work on the car.' implies that you worked on the car itself, possibly repairing or maintaining it.

Last Updated: March 15, 2024

This phrase is used to describe the act of working on a car, such as repairing or maintaining it. It indicates that the car was the object of the action.

Examples:

I went to work on the car to fix the engine.
He spent the weekend going to work on the car to get it ready for the road trip.
She enjoys going to work on the car as a hobby.
They went to work on the car together to change the tires.
We usually go to work on the car to keep it in good condition.

Alternatives:

I worked on the car.
I repaired the car.
I maintained the car.
I fixed the car.
I serviced the car.

This phrase is used to describe the act of using a car to travel to work. It indicates that the car was the means of transportation.

Examples:

I went to work in the car because it was raining heavily.
She always goes to work in the car to avoid the crowded bus.
He prefers going to work in the car rather than taking the train.
They went to work in the carpool to save on gas.
We usually go to work in the car together.

Alternatives:

I drove to work.
I commuted to work by car.
I used the car to get to work.
I traveled to work in the car.
I took the car to work.

Answer 1

I went to work on the car.

This phrase is correct but less common in everyday usage. It implies working on the car itself, possibly repairing or maintaining it.

Answer 2

I went to work in the car.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate traveling to work using a car as a mode of transportation.

"I went to work on the car." vs "I went to work in the car."

I went to work on the car.

I went to work in the car.

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