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There is a really big confusion in me when it comes to using "in" and "on". If I am describing a position of an object I know how the two words differ, but when it comes to other things it really confuses.

e.g

in photo or on photo
in website or on website
in phone or on phone
in the movie or on the movie
in his account or on his account

How do we figure out which is the word to use in such occasions? What are the rules to get them right?

RegDwigнt
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DesirePRG
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  • In always has an element of meaning inside. If something does not feature in something, it's probably on. In a photo, movie or account; on the phone. Usually it's also on a website (like it's on a wall). And generally articles are required. – Andrew Leach May 05 '13 at 17:19
  • Generally, in refers to three-dimensional spaces or containers (in the jar, in a box, in the yard), while on refers to two-dimensional surfaces (on the ground, on a table, on the lawn). Note that yard is three-dimensional, while lawn is two-dimensional. This rule does not apply to prepositions that are governed by predicates (rule on, interested in), prepositions that are part of phrasal verbs (take it on, take him in), or prepositions that are part of idioms (in time, on time, in a hurry, on a mission). – John Lawler May 05 '13 at 17:24
  • We have a whole collection of questions dedicated to choosing between in and on. I suggest you take a look. On a general note, prepositions are always the trickiest part when learning a language (that has them), and your best bet is not to learn any rules, because there will always be exceptions, but just to learn everything by heart. After all, that's exactly what native speakers do. If you want to really master the language, follow their example. – RegDwigнt May 05 '13 at 17:29

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