At first glance, the difference between “in the books” and “in the books” is only in the preposition of place. Of course, there is a difference in the literal sense, but there are also a couple of other unique applications that make it important to understand when to choose “in the books” or “in the books”.
what is the difference between “in the books” and “on the books”?
When we speak of “in the books”, we refer to recorded information. the information is in the records. however, “on the books” has a very specific meaning when referring to accounting, that is, the company’s accounting records.
You are reading: In the books or on the books
When someone is employed by a company, they are added to the accounting records, and so they are added to the list of employees. They are said to be “on the books” of that company.
what does “in the books” mean?
When an event has been completed and recorded, it can be described as “on the books”. this can refer to any complete record, whether modern or ancient, since the documented record is written on the inside pages of a book. so, the correct preposition is “in” the records.
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however, before we had books, the records were kept on a clay tablet, so why wouldn’t we say “on” the clay tablet? we still refer to the records, whether on a clay tablet or in a printed book, so we refer to historical records as “in the books.”
so, let’s look at some examples of how to use “en los libro” in a sentence:
- The referee blew the whistle to end the match and a historic victory is on the books!
- The account of the flood was found in the books of the ancient Greeks.</ li
- discovered several errors in the law firm’s books.
- reference to your dismissal for lateness was found in your previous employer’s books.
- will not find no reference to a secretary in your company’s books
what does “in the books” mean?
when we speak of “the books”, that is, of “the accounts of a company”, we refer to records, but also to a list of people employed by the company, together with their hours, salary, etc. a person on that list is said to be “on the books”.
This is because the company added your name to a list of employees and employee records, and we talk about adding as putting something, or someone, “on” a list. so “on the books” has the very specific meaning of “employed by”. Let’s see some examples:
- The model has been on the modeling agency’s books since March.
- He cannot play for a foreign team while he is still on the London club’s books.
- We have a policy of not having more than 20 employees on the books at any one time.
- His name was not on the books of any taxi company operating in New York.
- if your name is not on the books, then you are working illegally.
Are “in the books” and “in the books” interchangeable?
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Because “in the books” and “in the books” have very specific meanings, their usage is often not interchangeable. you might find a reference to a person (former or current employee) “on the books” of a company, but “on the books” has the very specific meaning of currently “employed by”.
do we write “in a book” or “in a book”?
when we are recording our thoughts as the author of a book, we write “in a book”. when the book is already written and published, if we add something to the content of the book, we write “about a book”.
for example, an author will write about their trip in a book.
“in a book” may be appropriate, for example, if a student takes notes in their own copy of a book.
When someone writes about a book, they are said to be writing “about a book” by another author.
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- correct: the student was punished for writing comments in a library book.
- incorrect: she wrote about her African adventure in a book.