trespassing (on) property

[jesusguime]

It's one thing for paparazzi to take pictures, but it's another thing for them to chase celebrities down everywhere they go, driving dangerously, trespassing on property, and making a serious disturbance in celebrities' lives.


Hi,
Is "on" in the above omittable? If not, what does it mean? Thanks.

 

[GreenWhiteBlue]

No, you cannot omit it, just as you cannot omit the on in "living on my land" or "landing on the coast" or "standing on the lawn". The action is trespassing, and it is an intransitive verb. Omitting the "on" makes it look as if the "property" is the direct object of "trespassing", which in fact has no object at all. Instead, the prepositional phrase "on property" tells you where the trespassing occurs.