Ethan
Please help me understand the preposition 'in' in this sentence Over the next three nights we will be based here in icy Harbin and way down south in tropical Hong Kong exploring how the Chinese experience the most important festival in their calendar. I have problem understranding the second 'in'. Can you guys help me with it? Does the sentence suggest that they will travel from Harbin all the way south to Hong Kong? I thought that I had to use 'to', instead of 'in', to describe a movement, as in 'we will be based here in icy Harbin and way down south to Hong Kong ...'. Or does the sentence suggest that they will visit Harbin first and then Hong Kong?(in Harbin first and then in Hong Kong) Plus, does 'way down south' suggest a movement or just a position?
Feb 17, 2016 3:34 PM
Answers · 5
If it had been describing movement it would have said something like "We will be based in icy Harbin and travel way down south to tropical Hong Kong."
February 17, 2016
The author expected you to parse it thus: "we will be based [here in icy Harbin] and [way down south in tropical Hong Kong]". (Note that "way down south" is a colloquial way of saying "far south".) So there are two bases, in each of which you will be for a period.
February 17, 2016
The sentence is not describing movement at all. It is just saying that they will visit Harbin first and then Hong Kong. And 'way down south' just describes a position.
February 17, 2016
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