Word Confusion: On vs. On To vs Onto

Plural for the noun: on

To may be part of an:

• infinitive
• preposition

Ontario

Adjective:
Functioning, in operation, working, in use

[Postpositive] Informal

• Performing, as on stage
• Definitely taking place
• Tolerable, practicable, acceptable, etc.
• [Of a person] Willing to do something

[Informal; on at] Nagging

[Cricket; of a bowler] Bowling

Adverb:
At (great) length, for ages, hours, constantly, continuously, without pause, without letup, eternally, etc.

In the position or state required for the commencement or sustained continuation, as of a mechanical operation

Attached to, surrounding, or placed in contact with something

In a direction towards something, especially forwards

• So as to make progress

On and off, off and on intermittently

• From time to time

Noun:
Cricket:

• [Modifier] Relating to or denoting the leg side of a cricket field or pitch
• [In combination] Used to designate certain fielding positions on the leg side

Preposition:
Resting on, supported by, touching the (upper) surface of

So as to be or remain supported by or suspended from

So as to be attached to or unified with

So as to be a covering or wrapping for

In connection, association, or cooperation with

So as to be a supporting part or base of

Having as a place, location, situation, etc.

In immediate proximity to

In the direction of

Using as a means of conveyance or of supporting or supplying movement

By the agency or means of

Directed against or toward

Having as a subject

• About

In a state, condition, or process of

Engaged in or involved with

Subject to

Having as a source or agent

Having as a basis or ground

Assigned to or working at

At the time or occasion of

Within the required limits of

Having as the object or end of motion

Having as the object or end of action, thought, desire, etc.

Having as the subject or reference

• With respect to

Paid for by, especially as a treat or gift

Taking or using as a prescribed measure, cure, etc.

Regularly taking or addicted to

With

• Carried by

So as to disturb or affect adversely

Having as a risk or liability

In addition to

Prefix:
[Combining form] Being

Preposition:
Move to a position that is on

Become aware of a secret or something illegal

Make contact with something or someone

Send it to: Olaf Norton at 135 Tennyson Avenue, Toronto ON 55555.

Adjective:
The computer’s on.

Turn the oven on, please.

We have nothing much on for this weekend.

Turn the switch to the on position.

I’m on in five minutes.

The match is on for Friday.

Their marriage is still on.

Your plan just isn’t on.

I’m on for it.

She was always on at her husband.

Adverb:
The professor droned on and on.

The crowd moved on.

He looked on while the ship docked.

The radio’s been on all night.

The girl had nothing on.

Don’t keep on about it.

The play went on all afternoon.

We drove on towards London.

March on!

Noun:
The side of the field that a right handed batsman has their back to, is the on-side.

The on-drive can be played on the front or the back foot, and it is played to relatively straight deliveries that are on the line of the stumps or the batsman’s body (Luke).

It is hit slightly to the leg side of the bowler, down towards the long-on fielding position.
“If the player is positioned almost in the middle line of the mid-on and the square leg, he is termed as a mid-wicket fielder” (Kanaujia).

Preposition:
Your purse is on the hood of my car.

Put the cushion on the chair.

We rested on our hands and knees.

Check the label on the jar.

Put the blanket on the baby.

I have to serve on a jury.

Check out the legs on that chair.

He has a nasty scar on his face.

There’s this store on 19th Street you have got to visit.

They have a house on the lake.

Set sail on a southerly course.

She’s arriving on the noon plane.

I want a car that runs on electricity.

She was so drunk on wine.

He is talking on the phone.

They played a joke on him.

Hank has a book on birds.

The railway workers are on strike.

I’m on the second chapter now.

Who’s the doctor on call?

I hate to depend on friends for support.

On my word of honor.

Who’s on the switchboard today?

It should arrive on Sunday.

It’s strictly cash on delivery.

Is the train on time?

It was a treasonous march on the capital.

She’s always creeping up on someone.

I love to gaze on this scene.

What are your views on public matters?

Dinner is on me.

He hates that he’s on a low-salt diet.

Lila is on drugs.

I have no money on me.

My hair dryer broke on me.

You will do this on pain of death.

It feels as if I can see millions on millions of stars.

Mary went on to achieve greatness.

Preposition:
We looked over the crafts exhibit and then moved on to the fine art.

He moved on to the next phase.

Let’s move on to the next point.

Those who qualify can go on to college.

“A function f from A to B is called onto if for all b in B there is an a in A such that f(a) = b” (One-to-One).

Prefix:
Ontogeny is “the process of an organism going through all of the developmental stages over its lifetime” (Ontogeny).

“According to Robert Gimello, ‘Buddhists do not ontologize the contents of their mystical experiences'” (Wainwright, p 122).

Preposition:
She ran onto the pavement.

The detective was onto something.

They went up onto the ridge.

The police are onto us

You’ll have to get onto the factory about this.

We got onto the moving train.

Indicating that the child was not yet on the bed jumping.

You know, the boxes that aren’t yet on the shelf . . .

Middle English an, on, preposition and adverb, from Old English; akin to the Old High German ana, meaning on, the Greek ana, meaning up, on.