ESL Blogs

64) “Shade” and “Shadow” – This is a distinction that is important in English but is confused by most ESL students:

Shade is a volume of space, and a shadow is a two-dimensional projection on a surface:  You can stand in shade, but only on a shadow.  In other words, shade can surround you like a tent, but a shadow cannot – it is flat, like a stain.

“There is little shade here at noon.”

“This big oak tree provides lots of shade in the summer.”

“I could see his shadow on the wall.”

“The dog sat in my shadow.” 

(And note that even though the dog is literally sitting on the shadow, the preposition “in” is used – this is yet another example of how English prepositions don't always work according to logic!)