https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english/general-conversation-greetings-letters/1100040-turn-off-a-lamp-or-turn-a-lamp-off.html
This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. English
  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

turn off a lamp or turn a lamp off

English translation: both are possible

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:turn off a lamp or turn a lamp off
Selected answer:both are possible
Entered by: TesCor -

13:34 Jul 25, 2005
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: turn off a lamp or turn a lamp off
Ok,I realize that this must sound like a crazy question, and I would't have otherwise given it a second thought; but someone has brought it up and has now got me thinking.

Do we turn off/on a lamp or do we turn a lamp off/on?
TesCor -
Canada
Local time: 22:29
both are possible
Explanation:
As a phrasal verb it can either be turn on/off the lamp or turn the lamp on/off.
However, if you replace lamp with 'it' you can only say 'turn it on/off'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2005-07-25 14:00:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this site may help
www.miguelmllop.com/grammars/mygrammar/adpreps.pdf
Selected response from:

suezen
Local time: 04:29
Grading comment
Thanks Suezen.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +17both are possible
suezen
3 +3turn on/off the lamp
Ken Cox
4turn the lamp off
Pierre POUSSIN
4turn off/on a lamp
Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
4 -1the tonal meanings are different in each case
Balasubramaniam L.


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
turn the lamp off


Explanation:
I'd rather have this one, but can't tell you why!

Pierre POUSSIN
France
Local time: 04:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
turn off/on a lamp


Explanation:
-

Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
Bangladesh
Local time: 08:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in BengaliBengali
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
turn on/off the lamp


Explanation:
Xounds the most natural to me (NA English), and supported by google hits for the alternatives "turn on the lamp" and "turn the lamp on". However, 'turn the lamp on/off' would certainly be understood, and it would be more natural in certain situations (e.g. for emphasis in an instruction or direct order: 'Turn the lamp on!').


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2005-07-25 13:50:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, \'Sounds...\'

Ken Cox
Local time: 04:29
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
23 mins
agree  Cilian O'Tuama: 1st Hippie: Hey man, turn the radio on. 2nd Hippie: Hey radio, I love ya! (sorry)
25 mins
agree  RHELLER: sounds like Cilian is working too hard :-)
13 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +17
both are possible


Explanation:
As a phrasal verb it can either be turn on/off the lamp or turn the lamp on/off.
However, if you replace lamp with 'it' you can only say 'turn it on/off'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2005-07-25 14:00:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this site may help
www.miguelmllop.com/grammars/mygrammar/adpreps.pdf

suezen
Local time: 04:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14
Grading comment
Thanks Suezen.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Robert Donahue (X)
8 mins
  -> thanks Robert
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
16 mins
  -> thanks Vicky
agree  Kevin Kelly
22 mins
  -> thanks Kevin
agree  Andrey Belousov (X)
32 mins
  -> thanks Andrey
agree  Elizabeth Lyons: I agree but turn the lamp off sounds better to me.
36 mins
  -> Mmmm, it's true but 'can you turn off the lamp, please?' also works OK
agree  Cilian O'Tuama
43 mins
  -> thanks Cilian
agree  Armorel Young: I'd suggest a slight tendency for "turn off" to be more formal and "turn... off" more conversational. Notice in office washroom""Please turn off the light"; shouted to teenager leaving the room: "Turn the light off!"
45 mins
  -> Excellent point. Thanks!
agree  moya
55 mins
  -> thanks Moya
agree  Gabrielle Lyons
55 mins
  -> thanks Gabrielle
agree  Can Altinbay
1 hr
  -> thanks Can
agree  Clauwolf: one may alternatively destroy the bulb and replace it with a new one! :)
1 hr
agree  Sinziana Paltineanu (X)
2 hrs
agree  nlingua: liked armorel's comment too
2 hrs
agree  Johan Venter: This is a good example of a transitive multi-word verb, in other words, both options are possible as indicated.
3 hrs
agree  RHELLER: also, commands begin with the imperative...Turn the light off
13 hrs
agree  Philippe Maillard
19 hrs
agree  John Bowden: With Armorel - some people still think you "shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition", so think "turn off the lamp" is more "correct" (not true, but old myths die hard!)
2 days 1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
the tonal meanings are different in each case


Explanation:
Both are correct but they have tonal differences:

Turn off the lamp. (A request)

Turn the lamp off. (An order)



Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 07:59
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  RHELLER: they are both orders
11 hrs
disagree  John Bowden: No, there's no difference in "severity", it's simply a matter of preference where to place the preposition
2 days 6 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations