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What is the correct preposition to be used in this case?

Is it the same when you also refer the name of the island?

  • I will arrive [...] the island at 12:00
  • I will arrive [...] Crete at 12:00
tgogos
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    "arrive on the island" and "arrive in Crete" are probably the more idiomatic. See: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=arrive+on+the+island%2Carrive+at+the+island%2Carrive+in+the+island&year_start=1900&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Carrive%20on%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Carrive%20at%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Carrive%20in%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0 –  Mar 30 '17 at 07:00
  • Sometimes the preposition is dropped altogether. We will arrive the island at . . . – Xanne Mar 30 '17 at 08:30
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    You can "go to" but not "arrive to". You can arrive at an island on/in a boat, but you can't "arrive in" an island; there is no way to propel those through the water. If you are describing the end of travel from the perspective of being in the boat or plane, you "arrive at" the island. If you are describing the perspective from the island after setting foot there, you "arrive on" the island. If you are describing entering the destination Crete, you "arrive in" Crete. – fixer1234 Mar 30 '17 at 08:34

1 Answers1

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arrive (thefreedictionary.com)

  1. to come to a certain point in the course of travel; reach one's destination:

    We finally arrived in Rome.

  2. to come to be present:

    The moment to act has arrived.

  3. To achieve success or recognition:

    He had finally arrived as a designer.

  4. (followed by at) to agree upon; reach:

    to arrive at a decision.

arrive – reach (thefreedictionary.com) Collins COBUILD English Usage

You use arrive or reach to say that someone comes to a place at the end of a journey.

I'll tell Professor Sastri you've arrived.

He reached Bath in the late afternoon.

You usually say that someone arrives at a place.

We arrived at Victoria Station at 3 o'clock.

However, you say that someone arrives in a country or city.

He had arrived in France slightly ahead of schedule.

The ambassador arrived in Paris today.

Be Careful! Don't say that someone 'arrives to' a place.

Be Careful! Don't use a preposition after arrive in front of home, here, there, somewhere, or anywhere.

We arrived home and I carried my suitcases up the stairs.

I arrived here yesterday.

She rarely arrives anywhere on time.

Reach always takes a direct object. Don't say that someone 'reaches at' a place or that they 'have just reached'.

It was dark by the time I reached their house.

mahmud k pukayoor
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  • Nice and complete answer. Can you also add some information about the "island" case, so I can accept your answer. – tgogos Mar 30 '17 at 10:36
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    The far more used term is *reach the island. Considering as countries, it seems arrive in* is OK. See the (https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=arrive+on+the+island%2Carrive+at+the+island%2Carrive+in+the+island%2Creach+the+island&year_start=1900&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Carrive%20on%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Carrive%20at%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Carrive%20in%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Creach%20the%20island%3B%2Cc0) – mahmud k pukayoor Mar 30 '17 at 11:31