Which phrase is correct or are they both correct? "I bought this ring during my visit to France". "I bought this ring on my visit to France".
asked May 5, 2015 at 19:33
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1"During" sounds better (to me at least). "On" can mean on top of - it has other meanings while "during" is more specific.– dardeshnaCommented May 5, 2015 at 20:32
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1@dardeshna - I agree that during sounds better, but not because on means "on top of" – on means so much more than that. For example, there's nothing incorrect about: I went on a trip to France, and bought this ring while I was there.– J.R.Commented May 6, 2015 at 8:11
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I think that 'on' is more likely than 'during' in informal: speech. [Ross in Friends: "We were on a BREAK!"]– David GarnerCommented May 6, 2015 at 14:48
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3 Answers
Both forms are equally functional; the second case is the result of "while on" being simplified to just "on", similar to how "if you think that puppies are cute..." can be condensed into "if you think puppies are cute...".
To me, 'during' sounds better, because it refers to the time (while I was there).
Here's an example for 'on my visit':
On my next visit to France, I will certainly visit you.
"I bought this ring on my recent visit to France", "I bought this ring last year whilst visiting France". "When in France last year I bought this ring". These are merely suggestions on how to say it differently, I do not particularly like the word "during", no reason really, just don't like the way to reads.