A huge crowd descended on/in capital

[murat_istanbul]

Good evening everyone

I have seen this sentence on a website about a girl who died as a result of an accident.

• A huge crowd descended on capital on Sunday.

Do any of your have an idea why the preposition on is being used before capital? Is the website referring to e.g. streets? Can I use in instead?

Thank you.

 

[Edinburgher]

No, after "descended" you need "on", but you also need 'the' before 'capital'.
But "descended on the capital" would mean they came into the capital from somewhere outside the capital. Is that what they really mean?
Perhaps the verb "descended" is wrong, and it should have been something like "assembled"; then it would need "in".

 

[murat_istanbul]

No, after "descended" you need "on", but you also need 'the' before 'capital'.
But "descended on the capital" would mean they came into the capital from somewhere outside the capital. Is that what they really mean?
Perhaps the verb "descended" is wrong, and it should have been something like "assembled"; then it would need "in".

The article was about a demonstration held in the capital to protest the death of a girl.

 

[Edinburgher]

So presumably most of those who attended the demonstration were residents of the capital, right? So unless they meant that many people came into the capital from the rest of the country, "descended on" doesn't really fit.

 

[ain'ttranslationfun?]

I basically agree with Edihburgher: "came to" specifically if they came to the capital from elsewhere and "assembled in" regardless of where they came from, and that the definite article in "the capital" is necessary here.

 

[murat_istanbul]

So presumably most of those who attended the demonstration were residents of the capital, right? So unless they meant that many people came into the capital from the rest of the country, "descended on" doesn't really fit.

Yes. Residents of the capital.