There is a fine line between these two phrases. Fall to the ground means someone is falling from a high point towards the ground. Here the stress is more on “fall” rather than the ground. The preposition “to” is denoting the direction of the fall.
On the other hand, the preposition “on” in the phrase”fall on the ground” suggests that an individual is already on the ground and he/she may collapse or fall down. Here the final point is already known that’s why the emphasis is more on the ground.
Another difference in my opinion is that the expression”fall to the ground” seems to be more formal. It is the original literary phrase in the English language that implies that someone is falling to the ground. However, fall on the ground is more of a slang used to convey almost the same meaning.
Things You Need To Know About The Verb ‘Fall’
Fall means to quickly drop from a higher position to a lower position that is ground. Fall can be used as both a noun and a verb. It implies ‘to fall accidentally on the ground and towards the ground.’ It can also indicate ‘to descend from a higher level.’ It is irregular as a verb. The past participle form is fallen, while its past tense is fell. An object is not required for a fall.
The verb “fall” denotes a motion in which the direction changes, as in “fall to the ground”: When a man falls from a height to the horizontal direction, the verb “on the ground” must be either a stative or dynamic verb capable of keeping the subject on the ground.
Example:
- The rain is falling heavily.
- People were hurt when rocks fell on them.
- The tag must have fallen off.
- A mosquito fell into my drink.
- Please be careful! Or you will fall to the ground.
Synonyms Of The Word Fall
There are some other words in the English language that you can use in place of the word “fall”.
- Descend
- Drop
- Dropdown
- Come down
- Go down
- Gravitate
- Collapse
Phrasal Verbs Of The Word Fall
There are several phrasal verbs with the word “Fall”. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Fall for
Fall for means to fall in love with someone or something.
For example, she fell for him and waited for him for 10 years.
- Fall off
Fall off means to become less or decrease
For example, the level of liquid has fallen off.
- Fall down
Fall down means to fall unintentionally and accidentally.
For example, if the books are placed on the top of the shelf, they might fall down.
- Fall over
Fall over means falling onto the ground.
For example, please be careful and do not fall over the cliff.
- Fall out
Fall out means dropping something.
For example, the medicines made her hair fall out.
The Meaning Of Fall On The Ground May Change Your Perspective!
‘Fall on the ground’ refers to an accidental fall. This has no idiomatic meaning and it means exactly what it says. It simply means falling on the floor accidentally. Fall on the ground also means collapsing or to topple over.
The phrase “fall on the ground” implies that the individual is already on the ground when he or she fell. It also means that a person has fallen down from a sitting or standing position, where height isn’t taken into account as much.
Below are the examples to show you where you can use ‘fall on the ground’ in your sentences:
- Boys can fall on the ground because they are too drunk.
- Fall on the ground immediately when you hear the gunshot, said the police officer.
- After receiving the award from the stage, the girl fell on the ground.
- A tissue paper is fallen on the ground and is lying on the floor.
The Meaning Of Fall To The Ground, Only A Handful Of People Know!
“Fall to the ground” means to fall from the higher to the lower position due to gravity; to fall suddenly from a standing position.
For example:
- The automobile slammed into him, flinging him into the air and causing him to fall to the ground with an awful dull thud.
- Two separate objects fall to the ground at the very same speed, according to the notion.
- Her mom and dad fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
- When leaves fall to the ground, they decompose by becoming part of the soil.
Fall to the ground can also be used as an idiom, which means to come to nothing or to fail.
For example:
- Once the picnic was postponed, all of our expectations fell to the ground.
The Grammatical Difference Between ‘Fall On The Ground’ And ‘Fall To The Ground’
| Fall on the ground | Fall to the ground |
| The difference in meaning | |
| Fall on the ground means that a person has fallen from a sitting or standing position, where height isn’t taken into account as much. | Fall to the ground means falling from the higher to the lower position due to gravity, where height is taken into account. |
| The difference in the fall | |
| A fall on the ground denotes falling down from a lower height. It implies that the person who is already on the ground has fallen to the ground. | Fall to the ground indicates that the fall happened from a great height. |
| Which one is a quicker fall? | |
| The term “fall on the ground” indicates a quicker fall, it does not take long. | The term “fall to the ground” usually connotes a drastic drop. So the fall takes longer, it emphasizes the falling itself. |
| The use of “on” and “to” | |
| The word “on” is employed to stress just the result and the expected effects. | The word “to” is employed to emphasize that this fall has a beginning and a conclusion. |
| Formal vs. Informal | |
| In my point of view, the term “falling on the ground” has an informal connotation. It is usually used in spoken English rather than in written English. | On the other hand,” falling to the ground” has a more formal meaning and literary ring to it. In spoken English, I would never use it. (As a result, it sounds more severe to me, as if someone has been hurt or killed). |
| The difference in their usage in sentences | |
| You can use the term “fall on the ground” if anyone is lying on the ground and did not fall from anywhere above the ground. | You can utilize the phrase “fall to the ground” if anyone is at a height and not on the ground. |
| Example (sentences) | |
| Fall on the ground immediately when you hear the gunshot, said the police officer. After receiving the award from the stage, the girl fell on the ground. | Two separate objects fall to the ground at the very same speed, according to the notion. Her mom and dad fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. |
Conclusion
In this article, we understood the difference between “fall on the ground” and “fall to the ground”. A fall is an unanticipated incident in which the participant lands on the floor, ground, or lower level.
A fall can have severe repercussions for a person, including an increase in morbidity, fear of collapsing, worse quality of life, increasing reliance on others, medical institutionalization, and early mortality.
The main difference between these two is that one is used formally in written language while the other is a colloquial expression more apt in spoken English. The expression “fall on the ground” is generally used informally whereas, “fall to the ground” is the original expression applied in formal written English.
If anybody is already close to the ground and did not fall from somewhere above, you can use the term “fall on the ground.” However, If someone is up in the air and falling down from above, you can say that he/she is “falling to the ground.”
The expression “fall on the ground” implies that the person on the ground has already fallen. Whereas, the phrase “fall to the ground” signifies that the person fell from a tremendous height.
A fall on the ground occurs when a person falls from a sitting or standing position, where height isn’t as important. Although, falling to the ground refers to falling from a higher to a lower position due to gravity, taking into consideration height.
Both of the phrases ‘fall on the ground’ and ‘fall to the ground’ are correct grammatically. It depends on the person where to use it. If a person is mentioning a fall while speaking informally then he or she can use ‘fall on the ground’. Whereas, if a person wants to mention a fall of anything in a formal manner then he or she should use the phrase ‘fall to the ground.’
Which phrase should be used where, depends upon where the person or a thing is falling from, for example, if a person or a thing is falling on the ground although it was already close to the ground before falling then we should use the phrase falling on the ground because it is not a fall from some height. But, if a person or a thing is not on the ground and falling from above the ground then we should use the phrase falling to the ground.