student asking question

Does the meaning stay the same if I say "get tougher to Beijing" instead of "get tougher on Beijing"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, the meaning would change if you used "tougher to Beijing", because this would imply that Beijing perceives that Canada is tough. However, "tougher on Beijing" expresses that Canada is being tough or strict with Beijing. So "on" is the correct preposition to use in this case, and is normally always used after "tough". Ex: My parents were tough on me as a child.

Popular Q&As

03/29

Complete the expression with a quiz!