on Sunday vs this Sunday

Status
Not open for further replies.
O

otis8883

New Member
Mandarin
Hello

I got this question.

I will go to the island on Sunday.
I will go to the island this Sunday.

Are they both correct?


It appears "on" and "this" play the same role.

Thanks for looking
 
Last edited by a moderator:
    • rhitagawr

    rhitagawr

    Senior Member
    Wales
    British English
    xyzyxx said:
    "on Sunday" is a more general way to indicate any Sunday.

    "this Sunday" specifically refers to the upcoming Sunday.
    Click to expand...
    I disagree. Perhaps it's a BE/AE thing.
    I would take "on Sunday" to mean this coming Sunday unless there's something additional, e.g. tense aspect, to indicate "any Sunday".
    For "any Sunday" you could say "every Sunday"; "on Sundays"; or even "of a Sunday". "I'll go every Sunday." "The station is closed on Sundays." "People go to church of a Sunday."
    1) "We're going to church on Sunday" - this Sunday.
    2) "We go to church on Sunday" - every Sunday.
    otis8883's sentences have the same meaning as he's using them.
     
    X

    xyzyxx

    Senior Member
    USA - Iowa
    English - USA
    rhitagawr said:
    I disagree. Perhaps it's a BE/AE thing.
    I would take "on Sunday" to mean this coming Sunday unless there's something additional, e.g. tense aspect, to indicate "any Sunday".
    For "any Sunday" you could say "every Sunday"; "on Sundays"; or even "of a Sunday". "I'll go every Sunday." "The station is closed on Sundays." "People go to church of a Sunday."
    1) "We're going to church on Sunday" - this Sunday.
    2) "We go to church on Sunday" - every Sunday.
    otis8883's sentences have the same meaning as he's using them.
    Click to expand...
    Sorry, I didn't mean any or every Sunday, I meant to say "on Sunday" refers to a Sunday. It's non-specific. "this Sunday" is specific.

    You might say "We'll visit the museum on Saturday, and the theme park on Sunday" but without additional context, it's not possible to know whether you're planning for the coming weekend, or planning a trip that is months in the future.
     
    Last edited:
    rhitagawr

    rhitagawr

    Senior Member
    Wales
    British English
    Again, perhaps it's a difference between BE and AE. I'd take the museum sentence to refer to the coming Saturday/Sunday. If I were talking about an event far into the future (or the past) I'd probably say "the Sunday". "We're going to my sister's for Christmas and then we're going to my brother's on the Sunday", i.e. the Sunday after Christmas.
    I agree that "a Sunday" is non-specific; we don't know which Sunday. "We'll need to visit him on a Sunday" - we're only visiting him once. However, I suppose you could say "Jews go to the synagogue on a Saturday" - on Saturdays in general.
     
    C

    Cagey

    post mod (English Only / Latin)
    California
    English - US
    As the discussion above shows, the construction that should be used depends on the intended meaning. Several possibilities have been offered. To come to a conclusion, we need more information.

    This thread is closed, but if anyone still has a question about which form to use in a specific context, they are welcome to ask in new thread. Be sure to tell us what you want to say. :)

    Cagey,
    moderator.

    Added: A few relevant threads:

    I'm not free (on) Saturday
    I work on Monday vs Monday
    ON tuesday... prepositions!!!!
    on the Thursday or on Thursday
    The only available time is (on) Friday.
    He was absent this Monday or on this Monday?
     
    Last edited:
    Status
    Not open for further replies.
    Top