What is the difference between "I remember the day where..." and "I remember the day when..."?
I think both are used in both written and spoken English. Can we say that "when" makes more sense when we are talking about a specific point in time?
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As the other answerers suggested, the day when seems to be very common. In most cases both the day when and the day where refer to time, not place; but the day where is a bit archaic. In my research, the only instance I found in which the day where refers to a place – not time – is in the book The London Encyclopedia: or, Universal Dictionary of Science, Art, Literature, and Practical Mechanics. VOL. X. 1893:
That said, it seems that other authors have used it by referring to a time not place. Here are just a few examples:
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The King James Bible (Job, 3:3) has this: ‘Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.’ However, the day when is almost certainly what would be used on most occasions now. Do you have an authentic quotation showing where in such a context? |
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I remember the place where... And I remember the day when... are preferred. I remember the day that... is also possible because some people argue that the combination "day" and "when" is redundant. |
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