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in a car vs on a car

Both 'in a car' and 'on a car' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'In a car' is used when referring to being inside a vehicle, while 'on a car' is used when talking about being physically on top of a vehicle.

Last updated: March 29, 2024 • 1301 views

in a car

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to being inside a vehicle.

Use 'in a car' when you want to indicate that someone or something is inside a vehicle, such as a car, bus, or taxi.

Examples:

  • I left my keys in the car.
  • She enjoys listening to music in the car.
  • There are four people in the car.
  • The kids are playing games in the car.
  • He found his sunglasses in the car.
  • FBI agents are putting him in a car right now.
  • You get in a car with him...
  • And I live in a car.
  • Something about a robbery charge and some girls in a car.
  • You're sitting in a car worth 20,000 dollars.
  • The bomb exploded in a car belongingto a Rojas associate.
  • Both were couples, in a car, hit by a tractor trailer.
  • If I was alone in a car with Scarlett Johansson...
  • Then like that, these four girls drive by in a car.
  • She had a cheeky agreement with a man in a car.
  • Instead I'm sitting in a car in Istanbul going nowhere.
  • You can have the best time in a car.
  • Traffic cams caught them leaving in a car.
  • Like Paula Deen and Kramer talking in a car.
  • I'm in a car with teddy and Ellie.
  • Parsa... was hidden in a car.
  • And it all happened in a car outside of school.
  • You should know better than to get in a car with Terry.
  • There were six of us jammed in a car.
  • His real father was Algerian, blew himself up in a car, nearthe French Embassy in Cairo.

Alternatives:

  • inside a car
  • within a car
  • inside the car
  • inside the vehicle
  • inside the automobile

on a car

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to being physically on top of a vehicle.

Use 'on a car' when you want to indicate that someone or something is physically on the exterior surface of a vehicle.

Examples:

  • The cat is sitting on the car.
  • There's a dent on the car.
  • He placed his bag on the car.
  • The kids are playing on the car roof.
  • There's a sticker on the car window.

Alternatives:

  • atop a car
  • on the vehicle
  • on the automobile
  • on the car's surface
  • on the car's exterior

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