Hi,

Say that I have an exam tomorrow. Which is correct to say and why?

1. I have an exam in English.

2. I have an exam on English.

3. I have an English exam.


I feel that 2 and 3 are correct. Yet, I this they both have another meaning other than that I will have an exam in English as a subject i.e. grammar, vocablary, etc. I think it could mean that the exam was written in English regardless of the subject. The subject could be maths, physics, etc.

What do you think?

No. 1 really means that the exam will be in the English language, but it doesn't say what the topic will be.

No. 2 needs to specify what particular aspect of the language the test will deal with. You're right in saying that the phrase an exam on ___ mentions the specific area being tested. For example, you could say an exam on irregular verbs / an exam on real and unreal conditional sentences, etc.

No. 3 seems to communicate just a general idea that the exam will deal with some aspect of the English language, but we don't know what that will be.

I think the most natural-sounding sentence would be, for example . . .

I have an English exam / an exam in English tomorrow on the most common irregular verbs.

Thanks a lot, Richard.

quote:

I have an exam in English.

This sentence might be used if 'English' is short for 'English class.'

I might have an exam in chemistry, for example, meaning chemistry class, or in math, history, biology, English, Spanish, Russian, etc....all with the word 'class' understood after 'in.'

The exam in English (class) could be on Shakespeare, modern poetry, the future tenses, irregular verbs, or any of the countless topics appearing in English classes.

Thanks a lot, Rachel.