student asking question

Is it wrong if I say "live in a farm" instead of "live on a farm"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. The correct phrase here will always be "live on the farm". It may seem odd, but standard English doesn’t use the phrase “in the farm”, this is probably because it’s viewed as an open plot of land. Thus, something or someone can be in a building that is on the farm, e.g., in the farmhouse, but not in the farm, itself. A farmer and a farmer's family and staff live on the farm but not in it. They may also live in the farmhouse, but not on it (because that would imply they live on the roof). Ex: She lives on the farm. Ex: She lives in the farmhouse.

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