ride

[Gość: iwona]

hi, we say RIDE A BIKE but do we say RIDE IT or RIDE ON IT? anyone knows that?
thank you, guys!

[Gość: gugugu]

You say ride the bike or ride on...
as you dive the car or drive in the car(behind steering wheel or on the
backseat).

[Gość: dudu]

Other examples:
He jumped on his horse and rode off.
... ride a horse/pony/bicycle
... ride in a bus/taxi
The boy was riding on his father´s shoulders.
... a ship riding the waves
... a ship riding at anchor
... a bird riding on the wind ...
The devil rides him.

[Gość: iwona]

that's all fine but I was talking about what happens when we use a pronoun
instead of BIKE. RIDE IT or RIDE ON IT?

[zegar4]

Gość portalu: iwona napisał(a):

> that's all fine but I was talking about what happens when we use a pronoun
> instead of BIKE. RIDE IT or RIDE ON IT?

It doesn't matter whether a noun or a pronoun follows.

You like my bike? Take it for a ride (=ride it). You have got to ride it to
appreciate it.
(Slight emphasis is on the activity of riding)

Yesterday I saw you riding on a bike to work. You couldn't start your car
again, could you?
(Slight emphasis is on your riding a bike rather than something else, but you
could also say, "I saw you riding a bike to work yesterday. You couldn't start
your car again, could you?" The difference is tenuous in many cases.)

BTW, have you figured out the singular/plural why-clause issue?

You can say: Ride it

[Gość: Kingfish]

I gave him my bike and instructed him to ride it.

[jadefish]

i can't think of a good reason to ever say 'riding on a bike'. It may be
correct but it sounds awkward. you could say "a guy on a bike ran over the
dog", but if you want to say riding, i'd drop the 'on'.

[zegar4]

jadefish napisał:

> i can't think of a good reason to ever say 'riding on a bike'. It may be
> correct but it sounds awkward. you could say "a guy on a bike ran over the
> dog", but if you want to say riding, i'd drop the 'on'.

How about these:

Anything that gets more people out of cars and onto bikes is a good thing.
Every km you ride on a bike saves the environment just a little bit.

Now compare it with
"Every km you ride a bike saves the environment just a little bit"
Really? Walking would be much better, especially if your bike is a guzzler.

Many trekking routes are nearly impossible to ride on a bike.

It is illegal for two persons to ride on a bike meant for one.

Six hundred miles is a long way to ride on a bike in one day – you need a car.

A six-year-old child who refuses to wear a helmet should not ride on a bike.
Drive him to school in a car instead.

[jadefish]

good point, zegar!

it does emphasize the means of conveyance to say it that way - hadn't digested
your first post. but it sounds strange to me to hear it in other/all cases.

[gizmoj]

I agree with you, jadefish. It all depends on the context. If you simply want
to ride a bike, then ride a bike. You don't ride on a bike! It just doesn't
sound good. It sounds a bit like you're on a bike but someone else is doing the
pedalling.