Thread: To apply...

What is the correct variant:
1.to apply smt ON a certain surface
2.to apply smt TO a certain surface?
I know there are many meanings for this verb, but I need the one that means "to attach".
Thank you!

Зависит от чего вы накладываете/применяете/и т.д. и на что. Дайте примеры или детали

Например, наносить полирующее средство на поверхность стола.

Originally Posted by Agnetha

Например, наносить полирующее средство на поверхность стола.

В этом случае -- TO

apply polish to the table surface

в аналогичных случаях тоже TO

с apply может использоваться ONTO тоже

Apply the glue to the top of the table --correct
Place your hand on the table --correct
Apply glue remover on your hand --incorrect
"apply" never goes with "on"

Originally Posted by paulb

Apply the glue to the top of the table --correct
Place your hand on the table --correct
Apply glue remover on your hand --incorrect
"apply" never goes with "on"

(I think I need to qualify this)
I think it depends on the order of words. If apply becomes intransitive, I think ON can be used.
What do you think?

Originally Posted by quartz

Originally Posted by paulb

Apply the glue to the top of the table --correct
Place your hand on the table --correct
Apply glue remover on your hand --incorrect
"apply" never goes with "on"

(I think I need to qualify this)
I think it depends on the order of words. If apply becomes intransitive, I think ON can be used.
What do you think?

I don't remember ever hearing it.

It looks like dictionary.com allows it in usage 13:
"to lay or spread on: The plastic coating is easy to apply on any surface."
In this case "on" has the sense of spreading over an area, while "to" sounds more like a single point.
Most of the time when there is a preposition after "apply", it is "to".
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apply

I suppose nearly anything could happen after the verb when it is intransitive, such as:
"Don't fill out college applications while I'm talking to you; apply on your own time."

Originally Posted by paulb

Originally Posted by quartz

Originally Posted by paulb

Apply the glue to the top of the table --correct
Place your hand on the table --correct
Apply glue remover on your hand --incorrect
"apply" never goes with "on"

(I think I need to qualify this)
I think it depends on the order of words. If apply becomes intransitive, I think ON can be used.
What do you think?

I don't remember ever hearing it.

It looks like dictionary.com allows it in usage 13:
"to lay or spread on: The plastic coating is easy to apply on any surface."
In this case "on" has the sense of spreading over an area, while "to" sounds more like a single point.
Most of the time when there is a preposition after "apply", it is "to".
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apply

I suppose nearly anything could happen after the verb when it is intransitive, such as:
"Don't fill out college applications while I'm talking to you; apply on your own time."

I am not a linguist, unfortunately, but verb+preposition pairs are fairly tricky from my experience in learning other languages. But my gut feeling (completely valid Citation) tells me that in some cases ON is okay. The example with plastic coating has intransitive use of apply... Not sure what that means.

I think it's

PUT ====> ON
APPLY ====> TO

For example:

"Paul applied suntan lotion to Jenny's back" OR
"Paul put some suntan lotion on Jenny's back".

It wouldn't be a big problem if you said "applied .... on" in this situation... It would just sound a tiny bit "off". Most people would not even notice.

Thank you, I haven't even thought that this question was so disputable! Anyway, I'm very glad you helped me