English Grammar Question

[Fragony]

Fragony,
I can relate to that feeling, somehow.
But it would make an odd rule, don't you think?

R'as

Yes but english are odd people

I don't know, but 'by' and 'on' have a difference I cannot really comprehend, maybe not present/past per se but 'to do' and 'have done'? English is a very easy language untill you think of the subtleties, that's for sure.

[R'as al Ghul]

Right, they are.
I thought about an "active"/"passive" difference.
active: I can go there on foot
passive: People come here by feet.

I'm still puzzled.

R'as

[Taohn]

Right, they are.
I thought about an "active"/"passive" difference.
active: I can go there on foot
passive: People come here by feet.

I'm still puzzled.

R'as

Just so you know, "people come here by feet" isn't really passive at all; it's active. "To come" is an intransitive verb and thus can never take the passive voice. A couple passive examples would be:"The people were brought here on foot" or "The people were forced to come by foot" (notice that even when "come" appears, it must be accompanied by a transitive verb).

[ichi]

Okay,
so on foot or by foot
but never feet in any combination?

It sounds reasonable.
Now it would be nice to have someone explain it.

Think of it as an idiomatic expression - it is 'on foot' (a la a pies because that is the expression, like 'Get Bent' would never become 'Get bended' or 'Become Bent'

ichi

[R'as al Ghul]

Wow, I didn't expect that many answers to this dry question.
Thanks to all who took the time, it's appreciated very much.
The .org's combined power of knowledge will make it into the classroom.
A few more Germans won't go by feet in the future.
How's that?


R'as

[King Edward]

Our language is a mess but I'm pretty sure that you say by foot rather than on feet.

Most students arrive on the campus on foot or by car.

That would be the correct way of saying it I think